KevinBound
by Recursive Sweatpants
Summary: When the world is suddenly overrun with monsters, Kevin gains strange psychic abilities and is thrust by a series of events into an adventure with his friends to try and save the world - if they can even figure out who's behind it all.
1. Awakening

**Prologue**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

"Watchout!"

Kevin leaned hard to his left and swerved on his bike to avoid running into the person standing in the middle of the cul-de-sac lane. He lost his balance and tipped over, tumbling off of the bike and rolling along the ground. His knee took the brunt of the impact and became scraped and bloody, but when Kevin came to he was more worried about his bike. It had tipped over and skidded for a distance nearby, but was unharmed. After a sigh of relief, he got to his feet and shouted at the person who caused him to fall.

"Idiot! Watch where you're—"

Only it wasn't a person, Kevin realized. The figure looked somewhat like a man, but its skin was completely silver. It was slender and tall, and the late afternoon sun reflected brightly off of it. The thing's head looked more like a dome attached seamlessly to its shoulders, with a black visor where its eyes and nose should be. Its arms started out humanoid, but they got smaller and more tentacle-like further down.

Before a questioning "What the heck?" could leave Kevin's mouth, the figure's arm lashed out and wrapped itself around his neck. A wave of panic washed over the boy. He felt his breath get cut short by the icy cold tentacle, keeping air from flowing to his lungs. The faceless thing stared at him as the boy struggled against its iron grip.

Kevin was too frightened to think. Any thought dissolved into panic as soon as it was formed. He couldn't breathe. His windpipe was totally closed off. He kicked and struggled and squirmed, but to no avail. Suddenly, a thought made its way through the panic. It was terrifying possibility of death. He was going to die. He was going to die right then and there, at the tentacles of some _thing_ that caught him off guard.

Kevin's vision went from seeing sparks to blackness as he began to pass out. As his consciousness retreated into the recesses of his mind, he felt something disappear. Something disintegrated, like a bubble gently popping. He'd always known it was there, he could always feel it. But it had never done anything. He had never gave it a second thought. But when its barrier disappeared, he felt something erupt from it.

A chord.

A surge of energy filled his head, growing and swirling faster and faster until it pushed all of his thoughts and notions of death aside. It sounded—no, _felt_ like a musical chord, a number of solid tones playing together to form something greater.

Kevin had to let it out. He felt like his mind was going to explode inside of his head as the pressure built. As if it understood him, the power traveled down his spine and around his oxygen-deprived lungs, filling every nook and cranny with an inexplicable feeling as it rushed by.

Kevin felt the power surge throughout his being. Not just his body, but it glowed within his very thoughts, tickling a sense he never knew he had. It grew warmer and more intense with every passing second, and he felt like not even his entire body could contain it for much longer. His eyes fluttered open just long enough to see his hand, which was clutching the robot's arm in a futile attempt to break from its grip. Through the storm of panic and power he saw it begin to glow. His eyes opened wider as he saw not just his hand, but his whole arm shine in many different colors. He would've gasped in surprise if he actually could.

Suddenly, Kevin felt a reflex had never used before twitch, and he released the energy all at once. The rainbow of colors blasted from his body, straight at the figure trying to kill him. The light engulfed it and its grip on Kevin immediately released. He dropped to the ground as the figure was blasted backward into the fence, its body dissolving in the light. An instant later, it disappeared in a brilliant flash of color.

The boy was too awestruck to realize that he was still short on air until the light went away, and he immediately took a deep breath. But before he could do anything else, an intense exhaustion washed over him like a tidal wave.

Kevin passed out.


	2. Fire

**Chapter 2**

* * *

"_…-vin? Kev_in? Wake up!" A big, clammy hand started smacking Kevin across the cheeks. He groaned in annoyance as he swatted them away and opened his eyes.

"Oh, my head," he murmured as he picked himself off the ground. Strangely, he already felt wide awake; he was usually very groggy when waking up. He turned to see Jonny standing in front of him. His face was barely visible in the nighttime darkness, but Kevin could recognize the kid's abnormally large head anywhere.

"Good, you're awake!" the boy said.

"Wh-what happened?" Kevin looked up and saw the sky filled with stars. "Ah man, how long was I out?" He jerked his head down and held out his watch, which read 4:42 a.m.

"Come on, we gotta hurry!" Jonny said. He quickly grabbed Kevin's hand and started tugging on it, but Kevin ripped it away.

"Whoa there, Baldy. Hurry for what?"

"Plank's in trouble!"

Kevin scoffed. "Like I care. It's four in the morning!" He placed a hand to his head, and murmured, "I don't even remember why I'm…"

Jonny sneered. "And so are Rolf and Jimmy!"

Kevin's attention snapped back toward the boy. "What?"

Jonny grabbed his arm again, and Kevin reluctantly followed him down the lane and into the forest behind the cul-de-sac.

"What happened to Rolf and Jimmy?" Kevin broke from Jonny's grasp again, but started running alongside him. His muscles felt as energetic as ever, but something was missing. He tried to recall how he'd fallen unconscious in the first place, but his mind felt a kind of tiredness he'd never experienced before. It took him all of his concentration just to keep his balance as he ran, and he didn't even notice the flames until Jonny had to jerk his arm back to keep him from running into a burning tree.

"Wh-what?!" he shouted as he realized what was happening. The forest in front of them was on fire, every other tree and shrub ablaze. "What's going on?"

"Monsters came in the dead of night and set fire to the woods!" Jonny shouted over the roar of the flames. "We were on an Urban Rangers campout in a nearby cave tonight, and a monster made it collapse!"

He carefully plotted a course through the inferno as he talked, keeping track of everything that was burning and making sure that Kevin was right behind him at all times. "Rolf managed to push me out just in time, but he and Jimmy and Plank are trapped! So I went to get help and I found you out like a light in the middle of the lane!"

Kevin jumped as he heard a sudden loud sound boom from behind him, and turned to see a tree had fallen over not more than ten feet away.

"Hurry Kevin!" Jonny shouted as he waded through a tangle of low branches. The boy carefully followed, making sure not to get whipped by any branches Jonny pushed aside until they came upon a small clearing. The boy suddenly stopped, causing Kevin to bump into him.

"What's wr—" He paused when he saw what was in front of them. It was the same alien-like creature that attacked him before, the memory of it immediately rushing back. The creature was turned away from them and had its arm extended outward, pointing toward a group of trees. A small jet of flame gushed a foot away from where its arm ended in a small stub, and it was igniting everything around it.

Before the two boys could react, it suddenly turned its head toward them. It pointed its arm at them, and the geyser of flame followed. Jonny and Kevin dove just as the fire reached them and quickly rolled away while the creature adjusted its aim. Kevin scrambled to his feet, but just before the stream of fire reached him it died out.

"You bully! Stop burning the trees!" Jonny's voice cracked as he yelled a pathetic battle cry. He charged at the alien and punched it in the gut.

"Owowowowow!" Jonny clutched his hand in pain as it bounced off the creature's metal body. Unamused, the alien casually swatted Jonny away.

"Back off!" Kevin shouted, stepping toward the creature. He felt around in his pocket. When his hand grasped cool metal, he smiled, and pulled out his trusty crescent wrench. The tool was small, barely a foot long, but its head was solid metal and heavy. The strange power that he'd felt earlier was gone, but regardless Kevin charged at the alien and threw the wrench at it with all of his might.

The alien effortlessly whipped the projectile aside with its arm, and then pointed at Kevin. Fire burst from it toward the boy, and Kevin quickly jumped to the side. He rolled on the ground and hollered in pain. Tears filled his eyes as he looked down to see that one of his legs had been burnt. The fire stopped, but the alien wasted no time and grabbed him by his neck and held him in the air.

Kevin once again felt his breath get cut short as the tentacle tightened its grip on him. The enigma that saved him the last time was gone, and fear and panic washed over him. The sounds of his own gagging and the burning of the forest around them faded as the boy began losing consciousness, until…

"Bad evil alien!" the creature lost its grip on Kevin as a large boy rammed his flat, chinless head into its torso. Kevin collapsed on the ground, clutching his burnt leg and curling up in pain.

"Are you alright?" Someone else said as Kevin heard footsteps rushing toward him. He looked up to see Edd and Eddy crouching down next to him.

"I'm fine," Kevin spat. "Focus on the freaky alien thing." The boys turned around to see Ed still pushing the creature back with his headbutt. He rammed it into a burning tree, jumping back before it collapsed on top of the alien.

Ed stood for a few seconds, and then turned around with a pleased expression on his face. As he began walking toward Kevin and the other Eds, Kevin saw the burning tree move. "It's not down yet!" he warned. As if on cue, the tree launched into the air and landed deeper in the woods.

The creature walked out of the inferno and towards the group, small flames flickering at the end of both arms. An alien feeling washed over Kevin, blocking out all of his other senses, demanding it be heeded. He knew with no uncertainty the metal thing was going to kill them all in a torrent of fire, and he felt a crippling chill go down his back as he realized there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Just as it was about to launch the attack at them, however, its visor began to flash, and it paused. A moment later, it gave off a mechanical grunt and disappeared, dissolving into the air.

"W-what the heck was that?" Eddy asked.

"You've got me," Jonny replied.

"Where'd you guys come from?" Kevin asked.

"Lumpy here said he heard something and woke us up," Eddy explained, before yelling, "at _five in the friggen morning!_"

"Can you walk, Kevin?" Edd asked.

"I don't think so," he replied. He placed his hand on his leg and recoiled when pain seared it. It was almost completely black with ash and scorch marks, and it stretched down to his partially-melted shoe.

As Kevin looked at it, something welled up inside him. From the same spot in his mind where the unexplainable energy came from before, a small buzz appeared, glowing through his thoughts. He felt where it was coming from and focused on it, closing his eyes and ignoring the pain in his leg. Concentrating, the spark moved a little, and he cautiously willed the energy through his body. It tingled down his neck and into his arms, filling them with a gentle warmth that would've been pleasant if it wasn't so foreign. He knew he'd never done it before, but it felt strangely natural to him, as if he had practiced it many times before. Letting it gently guide him as much as he guided it, he pooled the energy in his hands, which began to glow a bright green. He watched in awe as he held them over his legs and the energy sprinkled gently onto them. To everyone's surprise, the burns began receding, and his skin grew back in their place.

Kevin ran out of energy before his legs were completely healed. Putting off the many questions he knew he should be asking, with some effort he managed to get himself to stand up.

"Way cool!" Ed said.

"How on Earth did you do that?" Edd asked in bewilderment, kneeling down and inspecting Kevin's leg.

"I-I'm not sure," he replied. "I just… healed them, with my mind. I think."

"Now I'm sure I'm dreaming," Eddy said. "Why aren't I seeing a bunch of Nazzes in bikinis right now?"

"Because you're not dreaming," Kevin remarked, playfully punching Eddy in the chest.

"Alright alright, but that doesn't explain what just happened," he retorted. Kevin walked over to the edge of the clearing, finding that the pain in his leg had receded.

Picking up his fallen wrench, he said, "We'll figure everything out later, but we gotta find Rolf and Fluffy first."

"And Plank!" Jonny added.

"Whatever. Let's get going."


	3. A Dangerous Excavation

**Chapter 3**

* * *

"So you fought that alien thing before?" Eddy asked Kevin as the five boys made their way through the forest.

"One of them, anyway," Kevin replied. "I'm pretty sure there's more where both of them came from."

"Well whatever they are, it looks like their priority isn't setting the woods on fire anymore," Edd remarked. The fires around them were dying down, and they had to worry less about planning their way around burning areas as they passed by. However, the once-lush trees were now replaced with glowing embers, charred wood and smoke that stung the boys' eyes and lungs. The sky was black from the smoke, so the only source of light came from the fires that were still burning.

Still shaken from the battle, everyone was on high alert, scanning the area for any unusual sights or sounds.

"So you killed the first one with the same kind of magic mumbo jumbo that you healed your leg with?" Eddy asked, trying to distract himself from the feeling of the hair on the back of his neck standing up and the general uneasiness swimming around in his head.

"I guess."

"You lucky duck you," Ed said cheerfully.

"There! Up there!" Jonny shouted. The group came upon a clearing where they could see a large cliff bisect the land. Near the top was a depression, an unusual dip in the otherwise flat stone that made a jagged V pointing downward to a pile of boulders and rubble below it. "Plank and Rolf and Jimmy are in here!"

"Good thing we brought Lumpy with us," Eddy said. Pointing to the rocks, he gave the command, "Ed, go dig a hole there!"

"Oh boy!" Ed shouted. He jumped onto the top of the pile and began scooping rocks out with his hands, chanting "Dig a hole, dig a hole, dig a hole!"

"Need some help?" Kevin asked, taking out his wrench.

"Where did you get that?" Eddy asked.

"I always carry this with me, in case something happens to—" the boy paused for a moment, staring blankly into space. When it came to him, he nearly dropped the wrench and suddenly shouted, "My bike! I left it behind in the lane!" He made a beeline for the forest, but Edd and Eddy quickly grabbed the back of his shirt and pulled him back.

"Worry about your bike later, Kevin!" Edd said.

"But I—"

"It'll last a night in the lane. Rolf and Jimmy need our help now though!"

"…Alright, alright," Kevin sighed. Nervously, he looked back and fourth at the forest and the rock pile, shifting his weight from one foot to the other until he said, "Ed, can't you dig any faster?!"

"Dig a hole faster!" became Ed's new chant as he started chucking heaps of rock between his legs. Kevin scrambled up the pile and started breaking apart the larger rocks with his wrench. Jonny and the other two Eds helped move rubble away from the pile as Kevin and Ed dug down from the top.

As he worked, Eddy couldn't help but glance behind him uneasily every few seconds, almost positive that something was watching them.

They worked for a few more minutes, until a chilling gust of wind passed by. Edd paused as a curious odor blew past him, and said, "Does anyone else smell… c-cigarette smoke?"

Before anyone could answer, a shrill sound filled the air, causing Edd and Eddy to fall backwards from shock and making Kevin nearly drop his wrench. Three black figures emerged from the top of the cliff, standing in the V-shaped hole. They looked down at the boys from above, nearly invisible against the night sky.

With another screech, they dove down at Kevin and Ed.

"Look out!" Jonny shouted. The two boys jumped off the pile of rubble and rolled along the ground.

_Thump! Thump! Thump!_

The boys looked in shock and awe as the figures slammed gracelessly into the rocks below. After a short second, they all gave a raspy groan and slowly stumbled to their clawed feet.

"Crows?" Eddy questioned, squinting in the dim light at the birds dizzily regaining their bearings.

"Abnormally large crows… with sunglasses… and cigars?!" Edd shouted. More visible near the rubble, the three birds were all adorned with large, sharp sunglasses. Using their wings like hands, two of them pulled already-lit cigars from behind their backs while the third already had one out. It was as if they were acting as if they hadn't just toppled onto a pile of rocks.

"As if this night couldn't get any weirder," Kevin retorted. After a few more puffs, the birds tossed their cigars aside and suddenly charged in the air at the group. They dove straight forward, their sharp beaks glimmering in the firelight. Eddy and Kevin ducked right as two of the crows passed over them, but Edd wasn't as quick and the third one cut his arm with its beak.

Edd yelped in pain as his arm began to bleed, the wound a clean cut down his bicept. The crow that attacked him snickered in a high, raspy voice as it turned around to attack a second time.

"Pick on the nerd will ya?" Kevin asked threateningly. "Well he's _our_ nerd!"

Two of the crows circled around and both dove at Kevin. He quickly brandished his wrench and smacked them with it before they could reach him.

The third crow saw this and cawed in anger, a nearby fire reflecting off of the sheen of its feathers and sunglasses. It dove at Kevin from behind, but before it could reach him, Ed slammed it into the ground on top of the other two with his fist. The crows writhed in a small crater they had formed, one coughing, the other two rubbing their heads with their wings. The boys took a step back as their sunglasses suddenly disappeared in a puff of black smoke.

"The heck?" Kevin asked. The crows stopped writhing as the smoke disappeared, and they began to grow smaller, exhaling more black smoke that dissipated almost instantly. Their beaks became less sharp as they lay on the ground and their talons became duller. After a few more seconds, they slowly rolled onto their stomachs and got to their feet. They looked at the boys surrounding them and immediately flew off in fright.

"Way cool!" Ed shouted. "They were all like 'Caw!' and Kevin was all like 'Leave our nerd alone!' and then I went 'Smaaaash!' and then they turned to normal and—"

"We get it!" Eddy interrupted, grabbing Ed's lips before he could continue.

"Ow," Edd hissed in pain as he clutched his right arm. Small streams of blood were trickling gently down it, dripping on the ground.

"Aw man," Kevin said as he crouched near Edd. "Those things were serious."

"Can you heal it?" Eddy asked.

"I'll try." Kevin held his hands over Edd's wound and concentrated. However, he felt no energy inside of his mind, the same feeling of emptiness as when he woke up making him feel cold inside. "Shoot! I'm out of… magic, or whatever."

"We'll just have to use the old-fashioned way then," Edd said. Upon request, Kevin tore a strip of cloth from Edd's shirt and wrapped it around Edd's arm. The fabric dampened a bit, but it soon stopped the bleeding.

The group resumed their digging, the memory of the crows' screams still embedded in their heads. They worked in silent cooperation, in fear that they might attract something even more dangerous or hilarious. Eddy shifted his gaze around near constantly, hardly paying attention as his trembling arms chucked whatever they could carry behind him.

A few minutes later, they uncovered the roof of the cave. It was too dark to see inside, but Kevin boldly knelt down and peered in.

"W-who's there?" cried a frightened voice from inside.

"Fluffy, you alright?" He heard a few rocks tumble down the pile from inside the cave, and Jimmy poked his dirt-stained head out of the opening.

"Oh, thank goodness!" he said as Kevin helped him through. He dusted off his Urban Rangers uniform, and said, "I was so scared!"

"Jimmy!" Ed shouted, pulling the small boy off of the rubble and giving him a crushing hug. Edd had to pull the boy away from Ed before any bones broke.

Kevin turned his attention back toward the cave. "Rolf, you in there?"

"Kevin!" A familiar blue-haired boy appeared at the opening, and smiled upon seeing his friend. He climbed out of the cave on his own. "You and the three Ed-boys have arrived to help!" He turned to Jonny, who began making his way up to the cave entrance. "You have done well recruiting help, Ranger Jonny! You shall receive the Badge of—"

Jonny ignored Rolf entirely as he scrambled through the cave entrance and disappeared inside.

"…Calling For Help," Rolf finished slowly.

"That's right, he's more concerned about a hunk of wood than you guys," Kevin said.

"That's not true!" Jimmy said. "I'm sure he—"

"Remember the whole 'Gourd' thing he did?" Kevin interrupted. He saw everyone's faces shift, telling him that they did remember the brief time Jonny had turned into a supervillain. "He trashed the neighborhood worse than any of you guys every did," he gestured toward the Eds, "and tried to get us all blaming each other for it!"

"Oh, yeah," Jimmy sighed.

"Pettiness aside," Rolf said, "Jonny is still an Urban Ranger, and is making up for his crimes." He turned toward the cave, and added, "And he hasn't come out yet."

"I'll get him," Kevin sighed. He squeezed into the cave opening and slid down the pile of rubble inside. Something rolled down the rubble with him, and he grabbed it. Feeling a switch, he turned it on and found it was a flashlight. He smiled at Rolf from inside the cave, and turned to see a large tunnel going deep into the cliff.

"Figures," he said to himself as he walked. The cave was uneven and treacherous, and Kevin had to keep a careful eye on his footing just so he wouldn't trip. It was also cold, and he felt his muscles become stiff and his fingers began to lose feeling. Fear tingled down his neck as he walked, but he tried his best to ignore it.

A ways in, he began hearing noises. They grew louder as he walked, and turned into muffled voices.

"H-hello?" he called.

The voices stopped. He carried onward, and called again. "You in here, Jonny?"

Something leaped into the flashlight's beam. Kevin yelped in surprise and stumbled backward. He saw Jonny in front of him, however, holding a piece of wood with a crude face drawn on it in his arm.

"Geese, you scared the crap outta me," Kevin said.

"Hahah, cool!" Jonny held Plank up to his hear for a moment, and then said, "Plank says you're like the girl in a horror movie, getting scared at everything!"

Kevin groaned, severely regretting having come for this loser.

"Let's just get back to the others, okay?"

"Okie dokie!"

Jonny walked next to Kevin as they made their way out of the cave. In the corner of his eye, Kevin saw the boy look back.

"You find something down here?"

"Nope!"


	4. Bigger Problems

**Chapter 4**

* * *

"So Rolf, what exactly happened to you guys?" Kevin asked. The group walked through the forest—or what was left of it—heading back to the cul-de-sac.

"The Rangers were setting up camp inside the cave when it happened," Rolf replied. "Outside of the cave, Rolf saw two of the silver monsters use their unholy magic to collapse it on top of us. Rolf managed to push Ranger Jonny outside, but had to run back inside to protect Ranger Jimmy. Which reminds me! Jonny, Jimmy, you two have earned the honorary 'Survived An Emergency Without Going Crazy-In-The-Head' badge!"

Rolf pulled out two round patches and handed them to Jonny and Jimmy. They depicted a person with spirals for eyes and foam coming out of his mouth behind a red cancel sign. The two boys both gave an "Ooh!" before proudly sticking the badges on their uniforms.

"You sure Jonny gets one of those?" Kevin asked. "All he did was go for help."

"In a blazing forest filled with metal beasts of burning," Rolf retorted.

"Okay, okay." He cast a dirty look at Jonny regardless.

The group walked through the charred remains of the forest, only having to worry about sidestepping areas that were still glowing red with dead flames. Any plants that were still alive were covered in black soot shed from their less fortunate neighbors. The forest seemed much smaller now, and the children could already see the lane in the distance. As they passed by a burnt tree, Ed slowed his pace.

"Why?" he lamented quietly, stopping completely to put his hand on the trunk and eventually wrap his arms around the entire thing.

"Who could do such a horrible thing?" Jimmy added, the whole group slowing in fear of leaving Ed behind.

"We don't know, okay?" Kevin replied. "Just that some alien scum decided to burn down the forest."

"It's not all bad," Jonny said. He walked over to a patch of ground near the tree and pointed at the acorns dotted around it. "Plank says the forest will grow back. Eventually."

"Yea, well that won't be for a long time," Kevin replied.

The group was silent after that. The sky started to turn a pale blue as the sun began rising, and everyone was tired. Kevin looked over at Edd, and he got an idea. Cautiously, he concentrated on the power spot in his mind and found there was another glimmer of energy in it.

"Hey Double-D," he said, "lemme see your arm."

Edd lifted up his sleeve and showed Kevin the bandage on his right arm. Kevin untied it and took it off, to Edd's surprise, and held his hands over it. Focusing the same way he did earlier, he guided the energy into his hands and it seeped into the boy's wound. His eyes widened as he saw and felt the cut close up, and after a few seconds there was nothing left of it except for some dried blood on his skin.

"Yes!" Kevin exclaimed, "It comes back after a while!"

"Your healy magic stuff?" Eddy asked, earning a positive nod from the boy.

Jonny, however, gasped and took a few steps back.

"What's wrong, Burhead?" Kevin asked.

"Plank's nervous," the boy replied. "He says that that power is evil."

"Evil?" Kevin almost snorted, "I just closed up a gaping hole in Double-D's arm and you listen to a piece of wood that tells you it's _evil_?"

Jonny nodded, and Kevin just rolled his eyes.

"Come everyone," Rolf said, "dawn is approaching, and we are almost home."

Jonny didn't say anything after, but he kept his distance from Kevin. The lane came into view at last, along with Kevin's bike, laying alone and abandoned in the dirt. The boy burst past Rolf, ignoring the latter's grunt of anger and knelt in front of the contraption.

"Oh babe!" he shouted, putting the bike upright and brushing off any dirt, "I'll never leave you like this again!"

"Didn't the movie we just had teach you anything?" Eddy asked.

"Huh?"

"Nevermind."

Kevin took his bike and rode it gleefully into the cul-de-sac, riding around the street until the others caught up. A glint of sunlight caught his eye and he stopped to look up and see the sun rising.

"Kevin," Edd said, approaching the boy, "do you think I could drop by sometime and study your, err, newfound ability?"

"Sure," Kevin replied, "whatever it is that I can do now, this… _thing_, I guess. The more I know about it, the better. Maybe this afternoon?"

"That would work."

The group dissolved as everyone headed to their respective homes. Kevin could hear the others yawning as he walked his bike to his house, and looked at his watch to see that it was almost 6:30 a.m. He wasn't tired—he _had_ been knocked unconscious hours before he normally went to bed, but that raised the question of what he was going to do until everyone else woke up.

However, that thought was suddenly interrupted by Ed, who wrapped his arms around him and darted to the side before something thrust them upwards. The boys flew in the air for a few feet toward the center of the cul-de-sac and skidded across the ground, and Kevin was so shocked and confused that he almost didn't feel the earth shake violently from under him. Ed pulled Kevin to his feet, and he saw that where he was standing moments ago was another humanoid alien. Though it was metallic and slender like the other two, this one looked almost twice as tall as Ed.

The alien walked toward the two boys, taking slow, staggered steps, the earth shaking with each one. Before it could attack, however, an enormous fish slammed into its head. The wielder followed through with a strong kick from above.

"YAAH!" Rolf screamed. The alien toppled over onto the pavement. Rolf sailed over it brandishing a trout larger than a full-grown man and slamming it into the alien again.

"Jimmy, Jonny, Eddy and Double-D Ed-boy!" he shouted, "get to safety, Rolf, Kevin and Hard-Headed Ed-boy will take care of this!"

"You don't have to tell us twice!" Jonny huffed as he ran to his house. He only carried Plank with him, however, and Eddy had to carry a fainted Jimmy and Edd to his house.

Rolf raised his trout to attack again but the alien swatted him away. Kevin threw his wrench at it with all his might, but it merely clinked off of its metallic skin.

"Hey, I can help fight this thing!" Eddy said after he dropped the others at his house.

"Don't be cocky, Three-Haired-Ed-boy! Rolf and Ed are strong, and Kevin has magic powers! You'd just get in the-" Rolf cut himself off to dodge the alien's arm, which whipped down at him hard enough to shatter the pavement below.

"Well can't I do anything?"

"No, you can't!" Kevin argued, "Unless you can use something more powerful than a five-foot fish then all you're good for is target practice for this thing!"

As if to prove his point, the creature lashed out a jet of fire at Eddy, who barely dodged it. With an audible grumble that was interrupted by a yelp as he dove away from another attack, Eddy dashed into his house without another word.

"Rolf! Ed!" Kevin shouted, "can you two hold this thing off for a while?"

"Where are you going?" Ed asked.

"To get a bigger wrench!"

Rolf held out his weapon in front of him and blocked the alien's attack long enough for him to give a quick nod. Kevin ran and quickly picked up his bike, which the alien had barely missed when it made its entrance. He rode to his house as Ed slammed his body into the alien and knocked it over again.

Kevin threw up his garage door and slammed it back down as soon as he and his bike were inside. He made a beeline for his toolbox and opened the top drawer. It was empty, so he checked the next one, which was also empty.

"Darnit!" he shouted, "where the heck is that blasted thing?!" Kevin frantically tossed items out of the toolbox, trying to find the wrench he wanted but it wasn't there. He slammed a fist on the top of the case, and wondered if the others were alright without him. He cast the thought aside and turned around.

"Oh duh!" Kevin shouted, running to the tool wall on the other side of the garage. It was for his father's tools back when he was an auto mechanic, but he stopped using them when he got his job at the jawbreaker factory. Hanging on it was a giant crescent wrench, longer than his whole arm. He quickly grabbed it, grunting a little at the sudden weight in his arms, and dashed out of his garage.

"May this trout be the last thing you ever see!" Rolf shouted. He jumped up and swung the fish at the alien's visor, but it quickly pushed him back with its arms. Rolf managed to orient himself before he hit the ground and he landed on his feet near Kevin.

"Rolf cannot do much more than this," he said, "this abomination is too strong for him and the Ed-boy alone."

"Let's see how he likes a big heap of stainless steel in his ugly face," Kevin said. He jumped up and swung his wrench at the alien. It raised its arms to block but the wrench pushed them downward. He flipped forward in midair to swing again without losing momentum. The wrench slammed hard into the alien's chest area. The impact dented the metal so much that part of it tore, revealing wires and circuits underneath the alien's skin.

It pushed Kevin away before he could do any more damage and took a few hasty steps back to distance itself from the boys. They braced themselves, but it didn't come forward to attack. Instead it raised its arms to the sky.

"Is it… giving up?" Kevin asked.

"No," Rolf replied, fear tinging his voice. He looked up at the sky, and said, "It's preparing for something."

Kevin and Ed followed Rolf's gaze to the sky, which began to grow dark. The alien gave off a mechanical grunt, and small orbs of light began dotting the air above. They turned into five and six-pointed stars as they grew bigger and more solid, the light they gave off growing more intense. Soon they reached their full size, larger than minivans, hanging ominously in the air above the cul-de-sac and showering it in an unholy light.

"Not good!" Ed shouted.


	5. Falling Apart

**Chapter 5**

* * *

"Are those… stars?"

Kevin stood in awe, his head craned to look at a growing number of lights hanging above the cul-de-sac. They grew in size, only stopping when each was the size of a small car. They glowed brightly in many colors, but the sky around them was dark as if it were night. The alien had its arms pointed to the sky, commanding the alien objects from below.

Kevin, Ed and Rolf all stood below the still swarm of light, frozen in fear. The stars hung above them like an enormous chandelier that was just waiting to fall. Kevin gulped, feeling incredibly tiny and vulnerable underneath the massive threat.

The alien made a metallic grunt, and it began to move its arms downward. The stars moved with them, building up speed as they fell toward the earth.

_Blam!_

The alien paused. A small hole appeared in its torso, above where Kevin had torn it earlier.

_Blam! Blam! Blam!_

Three more holes appeared, one going right through the alien's visor.

"H-how's this for s-something strong-stronger?" Eddy shouted. He stood just outside of his house, a pistol held in his trembling hands.

The alien turned to face the boy. He yelped, and quickly shot five more rounds into its head. The alien gave off a shrill, mechanical squeal as sparks popped and sizzled through its circuitry. It fell to the ground, face first.

The boy paused for a few moments, staring from the alien to his gun and back. After realizing everyone was watching him, with some effort he managed to stop shaking. Hopping off of his porch, he feigned a casual face as he walked over to Kevin and Rolf, twirling the pistol on his finger.

"W-woa," was all that Kevin managed to say through a dropped jaw and wide eyes.

Ed ran up to Eddy and hugged him. "That was so cool!" he shouted.

"W-where did you get this… thunder stick whatchamacallit, short-tempered Ed-boy?" Rolf inquired after Ed let Eddy go, taking a cautious step back.

"My dad always keeps this in his n-nightstand in case of an emergency," Eddy replied, looking at the gun, "and I figured this'd count."

The sky grew brighter, and the boys looked up to see the stars shrinking slowly until they disappeared, one by one.

Kevin took a few seconds to regain his composure. When his heart finally stopped trying to pound its way out of his chest, he took a deep breath and said, "I guess that takes care of that." He looked at the alien. It lay motionless in the middle of the cul-de-sac, save for a few sparks popping out of the holes through its body. "Whatever that thing was, there's probably more where it came from." He gulped, and continued, "Guys, I think we have an alien invasion on our hands. For real, this time."

His face turned accusatory, and he turned to Rolf, saying, "Or are you going to say this is another one of your relatives or something?"

"Hey," Rolf complained, "Rolf's 'weird relatives' do not dress up in shiny metal and burn down forests!"

"Okay okay, just making sure."

"So, what are we gonna do about this hunk of metal?" Eddy asked, giving the robot a few inquisitive kicks.

"Our parents are gonna wake up soon," Kevin said, "and if we want them to believe a word we say, then this'll be more than enough proof." He turned to Eddy and asked, "You got more ammo for that thing?" Eddy nodded. "Go get as much of it as you can. I'm going to go to Double-D's to see if I can figure out how to do whatever I did to destroy the first one. We can't afford to be ambushed again."

"Rolf will prepare a bigger fish," Rolf said. "He will take but a moment."

"And I will go home and sing Skip to My Lou!"

The other three boys stared at Ed for a second.

"You do that," Eddy said.

"It's settled then," Rolf said, "let's go!"

With a "You got it," from Ed, Eddy and Kevin, the boys each turned to go to their respective houses.

Kevin's mind swam with thoughts. Aliens. Psychic powers. Rolf's fish. So much happening all at once. That spot in his mind buzzed with a small amount of energy. The more Kevin concentrated on it, the more he could feel an alien sensation that he'd never experienced before. It felt almost like music, like a tiny little chord ringing through the air. Growing louder and louder, suddenly filling Kevin with a horrible dread that something—

Kevin whirled around. The alien had one arm lifted weakly in the air. It pointed at Eddy before going limp. A star fell from the sky.

Eddy disappeared underneath the star as it crashed into the earth.

"Eddy!" Kevin sprinted toward the star. Rolf and Ed turned to head toward it as well. Spotting it on the ground, Kevin quickly picked up Eddy's pistol and shot its last bullet into the monster's head. It disintegrated in a puff of silver smoke. Kevin turned around, and saw the star disappear as well, leaving behind a small crater in the road.

In the middle of the crater lay Eddy. His face was burrowed into the ground. Blood began to pool around him.

"Eddy!" Ed shouted, jumping into the crater before Kevin or Rolf could stop him. "Are you o-okay?"

Eddy didn't answer.

Kevin heard frantic, dainty footsteps, and turned to see Edd dashing toward the crater. The frail boy jumped down into it, tripping along the way and tumbling toward the center where Ed knelt by Eddy. "Oh lord! Oh no, oh no, oh no!" He scrambled toward his friend, ignoring the scrapes and bruises from the clumsy descent. Kevin could hear his frantic breathing escalate. Edd turned toward him, tears running down his face. "Q-quickly! H-h-heal him!"

Kevin paused for a second in a stupor, and then realized what Edd meant. He quickly jumped down and put his hands over Eddy's body. He focused as hard as he could. Nothing happened.

Ed persisted in trying to wake the boy up, shaking him and shouting at him until Edd had to physically force him to stop.

Ed's entire body shuttered. He knelt over his friend, his breaths short and panicked. "W-why w-won't you wa-wake… y-ou'll b-be—" He turned toward the others. His eyes were wider than Kevin had ever seen them before, and tears ran down his face. "H-he'll b-be okay, r-right?"

Nobody answered.

Edd placed two fingers on Eddy's neck. The growing expression of horror on his face told Kevin enough.

"He's… he's gone," he said quietly.

"W-what do you…"

Edd hung his head down and gently shook it, tears falling onto the blood-saturated ground.

Kevin's legs no longer had the energy to keep him standing. He collapsed backwards, filled with the echoes of the dread that had washed over him earlier. It swirled around in his stomach, and sent a lump up his throat. The more he tried to fight it back, the worse the urge to cry became.

Eddy lay before him, a friend that Kevin never knew he could be. Memories rushed through Kevin's head. After the incident with his brother, Eddy was no longer the selfish, attention-loving jerk that he was before. He had become sociable without being a showoff. He talked loudly and proudly, but he also learned to listen. He was no longer the enemy, and because of that, he no longer acted like it.

And now…

"Oh my god!" A woman's voice snapped Kevin back to reality. Wiping away his tears, he left Ed and Edd in the crater while he climbed out. Various adults were standing at their front doors, gasping at the crater in the middle of the street. Some looked on in horror while a few others began to form a small crowd around it.

The next few minutes went by in a blur. Questions. Demands. Anger. What did you kids do to the cul-de-sac? Then someone saw the body. Shrieks. Eddy's parents wailed and mourned. Ed refused to leave Eddy's body. How did this happen? You wouldn't believe us. Jonny's parents noticed the smoke in the air. The forest… what?! What did you kids _do_?

"Kevin, what happened to you guys?"

Kevin's mother stood before her son, bending her knees to face him at his height. Kevin took a breath. The other adults were still clamoring around them, pointing fingers and shouting, but his mother had been the first to actually wait for an answer.

"I… I guess I'll start with the most believable things," Kevin croaked, his voice hoarse and soft. "Can you get everyone else to listen to us?"

The woman smiled and nodded. She stood up and put two fingers in her mouth. A shrill whistle pierced through the cul-de-sac, causing everyone to stop talking and instinctively turn toward the source of the sound.

"Let the children explain," she called. Rolf, Jimmy, Edd and Jonny gathered around Kevin as all the adults turned their attention toward them.

Rolf, Jimmy and Jonny spoke first, detailing their camping trip and the cave-in. Jonny then explained how he got Kevin to help, and how the Eds followed them afterwards. They avoided mentioning any of the alien attacks until they neared the end of the story, which they then entrusted Edd to give the details. When he finished, the cul-de-sac grew quiet for a few moments.

"Do you kids honestly expect us to believe that aliens are responsible for all of this?!" A tall, thin man said.

"I don't know, they sounded pretty serious to me," another man responded. "Aliens or not, _something_ happened!"

"Besides, he's right about someone burning the forest down," a woman said. "It couldn't have been caused naturally; the weather last night was very clear."

"So? Maybe the little 'Urban Rangers' accidentally burned it down while they were on their little camping trip!" The thin man said.

Edd, recognizing the man's voice spotted him from the crowd and turned toward him. "Father, I-I assure you that everything we've said was and i-is t-true!" Edd pleaded. "You know me, I've gotten into trouble a-and mischief before but I have never in my life had t-the audacity to lie to everyone like this! To you and Mother! You must believe us!"

Edd's father sighed, a hint of surprise betraying his sneer. "Alright then, do you have any evidence? Anything to help prove that you're not making this—"

A shrill sound ripped through the air, causing everyone to wince at once. A rumbling, fluttering sound followed suit, causing everyone to look up in horror. A horde of crows swarmed into the cul-de-sac, their cigar smoke filling the air and their sunglasses reflecting the morning light.

The crowd of adults screamed and yelled as the crows began to attack them left and right, pecking and clawing at whatever moved. Kevin and Rolf wasted no time brandishing their weapons. They bashed every crow in range while the other kids ran for cover. Ed ignored the commotion to keep crying over Eddy's body.

A large crescent wrench and a larger fish flew through the crow-infested air as Kevin and Rolf swung their respective weapons left and right. The crowd of adults scattered as men and women ran into their houses or looked for weapons of their own to fight off the vicious birds.

One by one, the crows fell to the ground and writhed as their accessories and strength disappeared in puffs of smoke. A flock of terrified, regular birds began flying away from the neighborhood in fright.

When they were all gone, the adults and the children—newly awakened or otherwise—all congregated into the center of the cul-de-sac. Nazz's parents combed through the mob, offering first aid for the wounded.

Kevin made his way back in front of the crater, and the adults were quicker to give him their attention this time. "Does _that_ count?"


	6. Departure

**Chapter 6**

* * *

"Wait, are we _moving?!_"

"Well of course, Kevin, that's why I said 'Get everything packed.' Start with your clothes and essentials and then grab whatever you want to take with you, but hurry." Kevin's mother nearly had to push her son along as they headed inside their house.

"B-b-but we just fought all of those crows and that alien off!" Kevin shouted.

"Exactly, and lots of people were hurt and your friend—" she paused, turning around to see a hurt expression form on the boy's face. With an apologetic sigh, she placed a hand on Kevin's shoulder. "Well, all of us agreed that it's too dangerous here. Everyone in the cul-de-sac is evacuating until further notice."

"Where are we going, then?"

"Cherry Falls," Kevin's mother replied. "Your father and I bought a vacation home there once. It's about time we used it. Now go get packing."

Kevin groaned audibly, but didn't say anything when he was shooed upstairs. After the crows' attack was over, the adults had congregated and chattered amongst themselves. They announced that they believed the childrens' story, but no one had mentioned moving away until he was nearly at his doorstep.

He stormed into his room, shut the door behind him and slid down it onto the floor. Everything was happening so fast, and exhaustion began to wrap around him like a blanket. After hearing his mother call for him to hurry up, he groggily stood and staggered toward his window, not caring about her orders. From it, he could see Nazz's parents lift Eddy's corpse out of the crater. Ed was being restrained by his own mother and father, apparently not wanting the two doctors to take his friend away.

After a third warning from across the house, Kevin pulled out a suitcase from his closet and began carelessly tossing many clothes as he could stuff in it. Dragging his suitcase to the bathroom, he chucked his toiletries into it and made his way downstairs.

"Can I talk to my friends real quick?" he asked, standing at the front door.

"Alright, but hurry," his mother said. "The sooner we leave, the better."

With a light but solemn "Alright," he opened the door and walked outside. A tinge of guilt flowed through him as he saw Ed still being restrained by his parents, tears rolling down his face and forming small puddles on the road.

"Wh-where are you taking him?" he asked through his sobs.

"For the last time, he's dead! They're taking him to the morgue!" Ed's father shouted, yanking back on one arm while the boy's mother yanked on the other in a desperate attempt to overpower his strength. Nazz's parents laid down newspapers in the back of their van and put Eddy onto it. Kevin nearly gagged when he saw him up close; the boy's mangled body was stained with blood all over.

Ed shouted as they drove off, earning him a slap from his mother. Kevin couldn't stand it any more.

"What kind of parents are you?!" He shouted in disgust, running up to the three.

"Proper parents, that's what," the woman replied. "Though you and your hooligan friends have turned our boy into an unmanageable slob."

"Ed's always been like that! You're the ones who're… unmanaging him!" Kevin snapped. He couldn't believe how spiteful their voices were in front of their own son. "Can't you see how hurt he is?"

"Hurt over the short runt who's son to the cheapest car 'salesman' in Peach Creek, mind you!" the boy's father spat.

"Mind yourself! Let go of him!"

"Fine, suit yourself," Ed's mother bitterly resigned. She turned around and walked with her husband back to their house. "He's lucky we're even taking him," Kevin heard her mutter just before they were out of earshot. He growled in anger, clenching his fists and he took a step forward just before he felt an arm press on his shoulder.

"I'm sorry about Mom and Dad," Sarah said to him with an unusually sincere voice. "But don't do anything to make things worse."

"Are they always that cruel to him? What kind of parents treat their kids like that?"

"They're just upset about everything right now, and they're bad with how they show it," she explained. "Plus, they're used to ragging on him, thanks to me." With a remorseful face, she walked over and grabbed onto Ed's hand, easing his tears a little.

Edd, Rolf, Jimmy, Jonny and Nazz joined the three of them in the middle of the cul-de-sac, all with confused and crestfallen faces. Edd and Nazz helped Sarah to comfort Ed, and soon his sobs became quieter and less frequent until they disappeared altogether.

"Well, it looks like we won't be living here anymore," Kevin sighed, looking at the morning sky. "But at least we're all going to the same place, right?"

Edd was the first to look away.

"Unfortunately, I'm afraid I'll be going to a boarding school in Grapefruit Beck," he said quietly, clutching his arm and looking at this feet.

"What?!" Kevin exclaimed. "But that's almost at the top of the country!"

"I-I'm afraid the Hat-Ed-Boy isn't the only one going to distant places," Rolf admitted quietly. "Rolf's family has always been uncomfortable in this place, and Nana has demanded that they move back to his homeland. Rol—erm, _I_, will miss you all."

"I'm headed to Guava Bayou," Nazz said.

"Ed and me are going to Lemon Brook."

Kevin sank more and more with each word. "Is… is everyone going to a different place?"

"Actually," Jonny said sheepishly, "my folks and me and Plank are staying here." Everyone gasped.

"But that's suicide!" Nazz shouted. "The whole reason we're moving is because aliens or monsters or whatever are popping up! Why don't your folks want to get to safety?"

"My parents want to help replant the forest," Jonny explained. "It's our responsibility to put Mother Nature first! And don't worry, Plank has a feeling that Captain Melonhead can save us if things get rough! Isn't that right, Plank?"

Kevin gave a snort and lightly rolled his eyes. The sound of his mother's voice filled the air as she beckoned him to come home. "Well, I guess… this is goodbye," he said, taking a few steps back.

"I-I'll miss you," Ed said quietly. "E-everyone. I-I'll miss you."

"We'll miss you too, Big Guy," Kevin said. "Take care." One by one, they began to head their seperate ways as their parents called for them, and Kevin dropped his gentle smile as he grew further away from the group.

"Get your suitcase in the car," Kevin's mother said softly as she got in the driver's seat.

After retrieving it from his room, he took his suitcase and threw it in the back of the car, onto a pile of hastily packed luggage and various items thrown haphazardly on top of them. One of those items slid down the pile and onto the ground.

It was a small, black book, partially covered with dust which he blew off as he picked it up. The word "Journal" was written on the cover in curly letters black ink. With a small "Hmph," he tossed the book on top of the pile and closed the back of the car. After checking to make sure his bike was secure on top, the boy hopped into the backseat, knowing his father would occupy the front seat once they reached him. The engine came to life and the vehicle pulled out into the cul-de-sac.

Kevin looked back, out the window. Nearly everyone he knew was shrinking into the distance as they loaded their cars—or in Rolf's case, an enormous covered wagon—and some turned to wave goodbye to him. Kevin waved back, and the world as he knew it slipped away and never came back.

* * *

**End Prologue**


	7. The Power of the Mind

**Part 1**

* * *

**Chapter 7**

* * *

"…Are we th—"

"Kevin, if you say 'Are we there yet?' one more time I'll… I'll…" Kevin's father paused.

"You'll have Mom turn this car around?" the boy retorted.

Having lost the argument, his father gave an annoyed grunt, followed by, "We'll be there in an hour."

Kevin let a puff of air burst past his lips. He felt exhausted; so many things had happened in such a short time, and he didn't know what to do, or even what to think. He was trapped in a silver SUV that was heading to who-knows-where possibly hundreds of miles away from his friends because a _super_natural disaster had just struck his home town, not to mention the fact that he had helped fight it off using supernatural powers of his own that seemed to come out of nowhere. Then he lost a friend, and then he lost _all_ of his friends.

Overwhelmed by so many thoughts at once, he decided just to focus on the now. In doing so he realized he was very bored. It seemed like hours since he and his mother had picked up his father from the jawbreaker factory.

"If you're that bored then look in the back for something to do," Kevin's mother said calmly. Though she could be a very worrisome woman when danger was involved, Kevin noticed that she was the most rational when it came to arguments, and was almost always the one to make peace. He inwardly admired that about her as he considered her suggestion, though he didn't bother to say anything. Following her advice, he unbuckled his seat belt and turned around to the pile of hastily packed objects behind his seat. The first thing that caught his eye was the black journal.

"Let's see why Double-D likes these so much," he mumbled flatly himself as he picked the book up.

The word "Journal" was printed into the book's cover, but upon a closer look Kevin noticed that there were faint words near the bottom that he hadn't seen before. He couldn't make them out where he was sitting, so the boy slid toward the right side of the car where the mid-noon sunlight barely seeped through the window. Holding the book up to the light, Kevin made out the writing:

_**A comprehensive study of Psionics and Psychokinesis  
By George**_

"Hey Dad, who's this George guy?" Kevin asked, passing the book to his father.

"What're you—Uh…" he paused, squinting behind his glasses to better study the book. "I… hmm… I think it's your great-grandpa George's Journal." He handed the book back, and continued, "You know, there's an interesting story about him."

"What is it?"

"They say that he and his wife were kidnapped once. They went missing for two years until he suddenly turned up out of nowhere. His wife, Maria, was still missing.

"He never told anyone what happened to him or his wife. I never met him myself; he went missing again shortly before I was born. Anyway, my father said he was all but crazy when he came back; he started studying strange things—I think it had to do with 'psions' or psychic powers or some weird thing like it—anyway, he filled a bunch of journals with his studies. "

"So this is one of them?" Kevin asked.

"Actually, no," his father replied, "this book inparticular is blank. Though for some reason, my father passed it down to me and told me to keep it regardless, as did George when he gave it to him shortly before disappearing again. I guess this counts as me giving it to you now, so don't lose it."

With an unenthusiastic "cool," Kevin took the book back. Staring at the cover, he sighed at the thought that he had a crazy great grandpa who passed down empty journals as heirlooms.

…Wait, a minute, he thought. Did he say "psychic powers?"

Feeling the now familiar pocket in his mind almost halfway filled with the unexplainable energy, Kevin grabbed the cover and opened the book up to the first page.

It was blank.

However, something didn't seem right. A small pulse echoed through his mind, causing the energy to ripple. He felt a tiny amount drop down into his hand. His eyes widened as he saw and felt his hand moving toward the page on its own, as if some unseen force was guiding it. It was gentle, and he felt like he could break free of it almost effortlessly if he wanted, but his curiosity and wonder got the better of him and he let it cause his hand to touch the paper.

The boy gasped quietly. Faint lines began to appear on the page as he felt a tiny fleck of energy drip invisibly out of his hand. They grew deeper and darker, spreading and connecting until they formed letters. After a few seconds, the page was filled with writing.

Gulping in a mixture of excitement, anticipation and just a little fear, Kevin began reading.

_**Introduction**_

_**I've never been very good at writing introductions, especially after what happened to me recently, so forgive me if this isn't entirely professional. This book is a compilation of the results of my studies over the past few short years. It is meant more to be a brief introduction to PSI and its ins and outs, as well as my personal thoughts and experiences on the matter. To start, most people wouldn't believe me if I told you personally what I went through to gather this knowledge without experiencing it firsthand. Therefore, if you can read this, then you or someone who has had this book before possesses the ability of psionics, or psychokinesis.**_

_**Psionics and Psychokinesis, or PSI and PK for short respectively (forgive me if I switch terms and abbreviations around often; they are interchangeable for the most part), are the ability of one to use their mind to cause paranormal events around them. Such events include but are not limited to telekinesis, telepathy, pyrokineses, electrokinesis, geokinesis, the ability to heal injury, the ability to heal sickness and ailments, and many more.**_

Kevin's interest piqued at "the ability to heal injury," and he began reading more intently.

_**This journal is written entirely in a special ink of my own design that only appears when exposed to psionic energy, which will be further explained later on.**_

_**Origins**_

_**Psionics did not originate on Earth. You may or may not believe me, but it is in fact the ability of a race of extraterrestrial beings. These aliens have abducted humans over history for studying purposes, and some of these humans have gained the ability to perform psychokinesis through them. I am one of them, though I am possibly the first and only one to do a comprehensive study of it.**_

_**Humans are capable of gaining this ability when exposed to one who has them for an extended period of time. However, the user(s) must be very proficient in their abilities, and it often takes exposure from many different users for someone with no inherent psychic capability to develop one. Even then, however, there are many people who seem to never develop any PSI capabilities at all. What allows it in the body or mind is not yet known, but it is known to be inheritable. When a person does learn PSI, the capability to use it will be passed down to their offspring.**_

_**When a person is gifted with psionics genetically, the ability lies dormant within their brains from birth. It can be "awakened" when the person is under an extremely high level of stress, usually only experienced when they are very near death. Unfortunately, this means that most will awaken their PSI only to die shortly afterward.**_

_**There is another way to activate genetic psionic ability, however. When someone is exposed to anywhere from a little to a massive amount of PSI or PK energy, depending on the person, it will resonate with their own energy, and it will awaken inside of them.**_

Kevin felt strange as he kept reading the book. It was so informative and straightforward; he never thought he'd find such a clear explanation of his powers so soon. He wondered if George had written this just for him, or possibly someone else who could have had these powers.

_**Abilities**_

_**PSI can allow a user to utilize a plethora of abilities and techniques to manipulate the reality around his or herself. Most abilities are "ranked," meaning they have clearly distinguished differences in potency. I and a few other PSI users aboard the aliens' spacecraft have agreed to use Greek symbols to name these ranks:**_

_**Alpha, or α, is the lowest rank. When someone learns an ability, generally they will learn its alpha form first, though I have seen people learn it and beta at the same time. It is the weakest version of the ability, but more often than not it uses very little psionic energy.**_

_**Beta, or ß, is the next highest rank. It is noticeably more powerful than alpha, but uses a little more psionic energy.**_

_**Gamma, or γ, is more powerful than beta.**_

_**Sigma, or Σ, is the highest level most PSI users are able to get to of an ability. It is very powerful, but consumes a lot of energy and most techniques at this level will wear out a user after only a few tries.**_

_**Pi, or π, is a rare level higher than Sigma. It is sometimes mistaken for the highest level, but a very few people have been able to surpass it.**_

_**Omega, or Ω, is as high as any ability can go. Only the most experienced and skilled PSI users can obtain abilities at this level. When an ability is used at its omega level, its effect can be devastating or miraculous—depending on what the ability does—but it requires massive amounts of PSI energy. I myself only know one technique at this rank, and the feeling of using it is indescribable.**_

_**All abilities are learned at their alpha level, and as the user becomes more experienced and skilled, their subconscious allows them to understand and utilize higher levels of the skill. PSI is intertwined closely with the subconsciousness and the users' thoughts and personality. Our feelings and emotions can influence it to amazing extents, though, as a side note, I have noticed that this doesn't seem to be the case with the aliens themselves.**_

_**There is a wide variety of PSI skills and abilities, and those that I'm listing in this section are just a fraction of what is poss—**_

"Kevin, we're here!"

"Huh?" He looked up and saw a garage door in front of the car.

"See, it didn't even take an hour," his father said as he opened the car door.

Kevin took a quick glance around him to see they were at a small house on top of a large hill. Mountainous forests surrounded them on all sides, except for a small patch of buildings in the valley below. It was situated in front of a large cliff with a waterfall pouring off of it. He mused at how small the town of Cherry Falls was for a minute, but his interest in the book took over and he immediately began reading again.

_**There is a wide variety of PSI skills and abilities, and those that I'm listing in this section are just a fraction of what is possible.**_

_**PSI abilities can be categorized into four types: Offensive PSI. Defensive PSI, Assistance PSI, and Miscellaneous PSI.**_

_**Offensive PSI, as the name suggests, is used for attacking foes. Common Offensive PSI abilities often use elemen—"**_

He gasped as the book was ripped from his gentle grasp and turned to find his mother walking away from the open car door.

"Come on Kevin," she said as she walked over to her husband, who was opening the front door to the house, "you can read this once we're done unpacking." She put on a slightly confused face, and looked at the journal. "I never knew you were into reading books," she said, and with a more jovial voice she added, "I'm glad you find this interesting, but unpacking comes first."

"Wait, is that the journal?" Kevin's father asked. His wife handed it to him and he looked at the first page. His face lit up with surprise and excitement when he saw the writing.

"I-I don't know how it happened," Kevin said, walking up to his parents, "my hand touched the page and it… w-wrote… itself… or something." After a beat, he added, "I think it said it responds to PSI or something."

Kevin shifted his foot uncomfortably. Though his parents believed him about the aliens attacking the cul-de-sac, he'd forgotten to mention his newfound powers.

"PSI?" his father asked, "you mean…" his attention darted from his son to the first page of the book and back, "_this_PSI?"

"Y-yea, I think," Kevin stuttered. He broke away from his father's eyes in nervousness and he saw a bandage on his mother's elbow.

His eyes lighting up, he said, "Let me show you," and walked up to the woman. She gasped in surprise as her son ripped off the bandage to expose the cut caused by a spiteful crow. Kevin paused for a moment as he thought "spiteful crow" would make a good name for the evil birds, but he shook his head quickly and focused on the wounded elbow in front of him. He held out his hand under it and smiled as he felt the energy rise up and close the wound.

"Wh-what… oh my!" the woman said as she inspected the newly-healed flesh on her arm. "Honey, look at this!"

Kevin's father looked at it, then at the journal, and then at Kevin in disbelief.

"I know it's hard to explain… well, that book has a great explanation of it, actually, and I wanted to finish—"

A whiff of smoke caught Kevin's attention just as a Spiteful Crow sped past him and snatched the book right out of his father's hand.


	8. Into the Woods

**Chapter 8**

* * *

"Kevin! Wait!"

"No time, Mom! I gotta get that book back!"

Kevin raced down the hill as fast as he could run. The Spiteful Crow didn't fly as fast as most birds did, but it was slowly getting away as it glided down the hill.

He chased after it with angry confidence. The blasted thing was taunting him. It flew low to the ground and slowed until it was just barely within his reach, and when he lashed out his hand the crow rocketed up into the sky. He didn't look directly up at it though. He had seen similar tricks when playing football at his old school and learned the hard way that paying attention to where he was going had first priority. The road was old, unfamiliar and somewhat rocky, and he knew that it was trying to make him lose his footing.

"You'll have to do better than that!" The boy taunted, feeling for the small crescent wrench in his pocket. He wouldn't forgive himself if he got outsmarted by a _bird_ of all things, comically mutated into some kind of gangster-lookalike or otherwise. Angrily regretting that he hadn't taken the much larger wrench with him before he left home, he kept his weapon concealed until the bird lowered back down.

Just before it was within grabbing distance, Kevin quickly brandished his wrench and struck the bird's left wing. It gave a muffled caw of anger through the book held within its beak and strafed sideways away from the road.

"Kevin!" A woman's voice yelled from behind. A scream rapidly crescendoed as Kevin turned around to see his mother riding his bike wildly down the hill. "How do you stop this thing?!"

"The brake! Pedal backwards!"

The wheels on the bike screeched as the woman braked as hard as she could. A somewhat large rock hit the front tire and turned it sideways, and Kevin's mother yelped as she tumbled and skidded down the hill.

"Mom!" Kevin shouted as he ran up to her. Wasting no time, but almost all of his psionic energy, he held his hands over her body and watched in satisfaction and relief as all of her cuts and scrapes began to disappear at once.

"What the heck are you doing?!" He scolded when she stood up. He nervously watched the Spiteful Crow as the distance between it and him grew.

"Here," Kevin's mother said as she placed something in his hand. Unfolding it, the boy saw it was a map of the area. "Our new phone number is on the back," the woman said softly, "you don't want to get lost. And call us if you need to."

He stared at the map for a few seconds, surprised at his mother's sudden decision to give it to him. He snapped out of it when he felt his bike rub against his side.

"Go get that journal back," His mother said encouragingly.

Nearly overwhelmed by her sudden generosity and acceptance, Kevin gave her a quick yet grand hug before speeding away on his bike.

Trees rushed by the boy as blurs as he pedaled through the forest as fast as he could. His bike wasn't made for off-road ventures, but he shifted his weight and maneuvered it with enough skill to compensate. It rode smoothly across the small bumps and pits that he couldn't avoid, and he felt proud that his careful maintenance was being put to good use.

When he wasn't scanning the ground for obstacles, he was keeping his eye at the rapidly enlarging speck in the sky. The smell of a halfway-lit cigar stung the boy's nostrils as he gained on the bird. The crow turned its head and angrily cawed, though it came out as more of a hiss due to the journal in its beak.

The crow lost more and more altitude as the chase carried on. It tried hard to outmaneuver the boy, swerving around trees and making sharp turns but the forest floor was relatively smooth and flat and Kevin had little trouble getting right back behind it.

Soon the bird was right in front of him. It flapped its good wing as hard as it could, but Kevin could tell it was getting tired by the comically-large beats of sweat appearing around its head. Perfect. He smirked, and carefully pulled out his wrench as he kept his bike steady. When he felt it was the right moment, without hesitation, he threw it at the bird.

_Smaaaash!_

The word that Ed shouted not two days before rang satisfactorily in his head as the wrench smacked into the crow dead on. It spiraled to the ground just in front of the boy, and the wrench landed a few feet away.

"Nice try, _dork!_" Kevin hadn't used the word "dork" ever since he'd made friends with the Eds, and it felt surprisingly good saying it to the crow as he jumped off his bike and walked over to it. He reached down and picked the book up off of the ground, wiping the dirt and leaves off of the bottom of it as he headed back toward his bike. As he began to mount it, a sudden shriek pierced through his ears so loud that it caused him to clumsily tip over.

He turned to see the bird struggle to its little feet. Its black sunglasses were cracked, and they barely hung onto its face. The boy gasped as he saw a blood-red eye stare daggers at him from above the lenses, and he shivered as he felt what he could only consider to be pure rage. A sudden pain ripped in his arm and a line of blood formed almost instantly on it. Kevin looked over and saw another spiteful crow in the air, making a hateful snickering noise as it flew. He gasped as he saw more crows appearing around him, all with sunglasses and cigars.

The stench of smoke was almost unbearable, and he lifted his shirt over his mouth. Before could make another dive for his wrench, however, another burst of pain came from his leg. Looking down at it almost involuntarily, he saw a large green snake biting it. He kicked as hard as he could and sent the snake flying. Oddly enough, it twisted its body into a loose coil as it flew through the air, and when it hit the ground it bounced just like a spring. More of these snakes appeared, all bouncing along the ground in a similar fashion toward him.

A wave of panic, fear, and strangely nausea hit Kevin as all of the crazed animals rushed towards him. He instinctively crouched down and covered his head as a torrent of pecking, biting and scratching whirled around his body. His wrench was just out of reach. Any attempt to move was met with sharp pain. He screamed as he felt bites and scrapes and fangs and talons pierce through his limbs and his sides.

As if to add to the pain just for misery's sake, his body began to feel incredibly hot. Whatever part of his skin that wasn't torn up was sweating profusely. He felt himself losing the ability to think altogether. All he could concentrate on was crouching and protecting the book with his body. He wasn't about to lost it. Not while it still had so much to teach him.

A note.

_PK Flash is a special ability that blurs the line between offensive and defensive PSI. As the name implies, it creates a blinding flash of light that can temporarily blind enemies or confuse them. In rare cases, it can actually obliterate the user's target or targets, reducing them to ash. How or why this happens is unknown, so this ability is considered a very powerful wild card._

Kevin's fever vanished. A pulse echoed through his mind like a short, clear tone. In an instant of understanding, the boy drew all the psionic energy he had left and focused it into a tiny point in the center of his body. The point gave off an intense, white light that he could feel disparately trying to pass through him and out to the world beyond.

With a mental flinch, he released all the energy at once. Blinding light blasted from his body, engulfing everything around him. Though he couldn't see as he was still curled up when it happened, he immediately felt the weight of all of his attackers disappear. Just as quick as it appeared, the light vanished, along with the pain.


	9. The Book of Answers

**Chapter 9**

* * *

"…Hello?"

A beat.

No answer.

As Kevin's cautious word faded into the forest, the sudden feeling of relief ended and pain buzzed throughout his body. It rang in his ears and blocked out the silence around him. His eyes were clenched shut. His body was curled up around the book. The adrenaline flowing through his vains was slowly dissipating, and he felt a new familiar exhaustion of mental energy. He dared not move; all of his concentration was used to figure out what the heck he just did.

PK Flash.

The name echoed inside of his head in his own voice. Everything about it became so clear to him; he had just learned and performed the alpha level of PK Flash, the ability to create an intense burst of light from within the body. PK Flash, where psionic energy compresses into an impossibly small speck until the user releases it, affecting everything the user considers a target.

PK Flash, the thing that just disintegrated everything around the boy.

A fleck of courage appeared, and it was just enough to get him to open his eyes. His vision was greeted with the color of dry leaves and stale soil. His arms, curled protectively around the book, were stiff yet trembling. He managed to will them to move the book into his field of vision.

Though the pain of numerous cuts and bites was still present, Kevin managed to relax enough to rock his curled stance backwards until he plopped onto the ground sitting upright. Luckily, he was right in front of a tree, which caught him as he lay backward. He winced as some of his open wounds rubbed against the bark, but he managed to shift his weight onto an untarnished patch of skin and shirt and puffed a sigh of relief.

When the pain died down a little, he looked around. The forest was silent, and there wasn't a hint of a cigar-smoking crow or coiled-up snake in sight. The only thing that seemed out of place was a circle of forest floor that got increasingly drier toward the center where he lay. It was only a few feet in diameter, but for Kevin it did the job. Whatever that job was.

When he'd caught his breath and regained his composure to an extent, he wiped off his sweaty palms and opened up the book.

_**PSI abilities can be categorized into four types: Offensive PSI. Defensive PSI, Assistance PSI, and Miscellaneous PSI.**_

_**Offensive PSI, as the name suggests, is used for attacking foes. Common Offensive PSI abilities often use elements as their base. For example, PK Fire causes the user to shoot a jet of flame out of his or her hand while PK Thunder causes lightning to strike down opponents.**_

_**These techniques are often prefixed with the abbreviation of Psychokinesis (PK) as opposed to PSI, so I will be using the former for all the techniques listed. The following is a list of known Offensive PSI abilities and a short description for each:**_

Kevin skimmed through the book until he found the ability he was looking for.

**_Flash: PK Flash is a special ability that blurs the line between offensive and defensive PSI. As the name implies, it creates a blinding flash of light that can temporarily blind enemies or confuse them. In rare cases, it can actually obliterate the user's target or targets, reducing them to ash. How or why this happens is unknown, so this ability is considered a very powerful wild card. Fortunately, however, it only affects those which the user considers a target, and it has little more effect than a simple flash of light to those he or she doesn't._**

Sans the last sentence, it was word-for-word the same description that had played in his head. There was nothing explaining how to use it, however. Kevin went through the steps in his head; PK Flash now seemed familiar to him as if he had performed it dozens of times before.

One of his cuts began to sting. Reminded of his other ability, he skimmed through the book more until he came to the section on Assistance PSI.

_**Assistance PSI contains some of the most practical and useful abilities. These techniques are meant to be used on friends and allies as they have positive effects on the body. Known Assistance PSI are listed as follows:**_

_**Healing: PSI Healing is a very useful technique. It cures the body of internal ailments and disease, and higher levels can even bring one from the brink of death where Lifeup would heal the body but not bring him or her back to consciousness. Unfortunately however, it cannot actually revive a person who is completely dead. Not to be confused with PSI Lifeup, which is listed below.**_

_**Lifeup: PSI Lifeup is very different than PSI Healing; instead of curing ailments, it closes bodily wounds, mends broken, ruptured, or similarly injured tissue, and replenishes lost blood. The term "Lifeup" is a literal translation from the aliens' language, and it serves to help differentiate between it and PSI Healing. One of the things that makes PSI Lifeup so useful is that it is often learned very early on, and is usually the first ability a newly-awakened PSI user is granted.**_

"Huh," Kevin said to himself, "so I have Lifeup, and Flash." He smiled as he said the names aloud, and wondered what he'd learn next. He mused about learning new abilities and making them stronger, like he was in some kind of video game. However, a small wave pain buzzed through his body as if to remind him that this was all real.

Though he didn't have any energy to heal himself with, he managed to muster up enough physical strength to stand. His body protested his moving around with so many cuts and open wounds, but he ignored the pain as he stumbled over to pick up his wrench.

The sky grew dark as the sun began to set. Clouds covered it like a sheet, but did not threaten to rain. As the light of day faded, the glow of cars and street lamps in the distance illuminated a section of the sky from below.

Having no other means of direction, Kevin then proceeded to stumble through the forest in hopes of finding his way to the town of Cherry Falls.


	10. Lost in the Forest

**Chapter 10**

* * *

_Hello?"_

"Hey, Mom."

_"Oh my goodness, Kevin! Are you okay? Where are you?"_

"I'm fine, Mom. I'm at a motel in Cherry Falls."

Kevin leaned back against the wall as he heard an audible sigh of relief through the black phone pressed to his ear. The late morning sun shone warmly onto him through the large windows of the building's lobby. It was warm, but it did little to combat the uncomfortable drafts wafting across his newly-healed skin through tarnished clothes. He shifted around uncomfortably, trying to ignore the looks he was getting from the people around him. Betraying that feeling, though, he was in high spirits. He'd found that a good night's rest, which he hadn't gotten for almost two days, was enough to completely replenish his PSI.

_"Did you get the book back?"_ his mother asked.

"Yeah, it's fine." He reached into his pocket and smiled as he felt the small book tucked deep within it.

_"That's good… Wait, did you say 'motel?' Did you have enough money to rent a room for the night?"_

"No, but they saw me all cu—" He stopped himself mid-sentence.

_"They saw you all what?"_

"All cu… c-covered in mud! Yeah, and the owner is really nice, so she let me take a shower and stay the night!" The latter part was true, at least, but he shifted his position on the wall a little. He felt a little guilty for lying to his mother—a rarity despite his usual attitude towards his friends, he mused—but if she was _ever_ going to let him go out on his own again, the last thing he wanted her to know was that he could get as hurt as much as he did in the forest.

_"…You got hurt, didn't you?"_

The boy nearly slipped down the wall and onto the floor.

"W-what are you talking about? O-of course I didn't—"

_"You've always been a terrible liar,"_ he heard her say softly, _"but that just means you're a strong, honest boy."_

"Wh-what do you mean? You're not mad at me for getting hurt?" Kevin asked.

_"Of course I'm not mad! I'm just worried for you."_

His eyes lowered a little. He could almost see his mother with a phone pressed to her face, holding it with one hand and using the other to gently grab its cord. She would always do that when she told his father to get home safely from the Jawbreaker factory, which was a fairly long drive from his own home. "Well, don't worry Mom. I'll be home in a bit."

_"Do you have any money to buy food with? It's an awfully long way uphill from our house, and your father took the car to his new job so I can't pick you up. You'll probably have to walk your bike up for most of it."_

Kevin felt into his pocket, and felt a few coins jingle in his hand. "I have a little mon—"

A beat.

_"…Hello? Kevin?"_

The phone's spiral cord was the only thing that kept it from crashing into the floor as it dropped from the boy's hand. Before it could bungee back up a second time, it was hit with a breeze from a rapidly turning revolving door.

"MY BIKE!"

The boy raced down the street at breakneck speed. Buildings whizzed past him in a blur as he made a beeline for the forest. However, in a spark of rationality, he pirouetted on his heels and ran right back to the hotel. The phone was still swinging on its cord when he seized it and held it up to his face.

"Mom! Are you still there?"

_"What happened? Are you alright?"_

"I forgot my bike in the woods!"

He heard a small sigh of relief, and a bit of guilt gurgled in his stomach for leaving her on the phone.

_"Be careful out there, Kevin."_

He paused for a moment, ignoring his rapidly beating heart. "I will Mom. Please don't worry about me."

_"I love you, sweetie."_

"I love you too, Mom."

With a click on the other end, the phone buzzed to signal there was no connection and he hung it up.

Kevin then resumed running toward the forest at a speed normally reserved for motorized vehicles. The blur of buildings suddenly morphed into a blur of trees as he entered the forest. In another spark of rationality that wormed its way through the need to find his bike, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his wrench.

A Spiteful Crow drew near.

_Bang!_

Then a coiled-up snake.

_Boom!_

Another Coil Snake.

_Smaaaash!_

Kevin tore his way through any threat that crossed his path as he sprinted through the forest. Anything that came between him and the chance of finding his bike was given a crescent wrench to the face and not another thought afterward.

After a few minutes of running, exhaustion finally managed to overpower his need to find the bike, and the boy slowed to a walk. It was around then that he took a look at his surroundings for the first time, and deduced that he was completely lost. He sighed, and suddenly wished he was in Peach Creek's forest. Before it burned down, there were numerous landmarks and distinct areas that helped him and the other kids find their way around. In this forest, however, every tree looked exactly alike, and there was no way to tell where he was going.

Thinking about Peach Creek reminded him of Rolf and his friends. He took a moment of rest to wonder where they all were and what they were all doing. He doubted anyone else was lost in a forest, except for maybe Rolf and his family on their way back to "the Old Country", where in the world _that_ is. He never bothered to learn exactly where that boy was really from, and a pang of regret told him that now he may never be able to ask.

When he'd caught his breath, he resumed searching. Hours of running and resting, six Spiteful Crows, four Coil Snakes and two strange yam-shaped creatures (he didn't know what to make of them but they hurt nonetheless) later, a glint on the ground a ways off caught his eye. Chills of excitement swept down his spine as he approached it, and they immediately morphed into chills of elation when he saw that it was his bike.

"Oh baby!" he shouted, picking the contraption up and wiping it clean with a rag he kept in his pocket. "I'll never leave you again! I swear!"

When the bike was removed of dirt and leaves, he rested it against a tree and looked around. Whatever tracks the it may have left the other day were gone now, and the sun was high above the trees. Kevin was lost again.

He sighed and leaned on his bike. Now that his body wasn't fueled by the sheer need to find it, the exhaustion took over and demanded restitution for being ignored. The only thing that felt like energy in his entire body was his PSI, but to his frustration, he found that using Lifeup didn't restore stamina. The boy wiped sweat off of his brow as the heat of the day beat down upon him. But then he noticed that it wasn't hot out. In fact, he noticed that he was shivering despite how hot he felt.

"Aw man, am I sick or something?" he asked himself. The silence of the forest was his only answer. Along with the fever, he realized that he was very hungry, and his throat was almost completely dry. Figuring that staying put wouldn't help anything, he mounted his bike. He rode off through the forest in as straight of a line as he could, hoping he'd either reach a town or his house.

The shadows of the trees were longer than the trees themselves by the time Kevin finally reached a river, which was good enough for him. Ignoring the possibility of tainted water, he quickly dove his cupped palms into it and drank the cool, clear liquid. Though it revitalized his throat and mouth and curbed the growling in his stomach slightly, he still felt sweat dripping down his burning face.

Having quenched his thirst and gained a bit of strength back, he decided to follow the river upstream. If there wasn't civilization there, at least he might get high up enough to see where he could find it, he figured. The trees were tall, but none of them had branches low enough for him to reach and climb up. He'd have to be friggen Jonny to scale them, he scoffed.

Despite the fact that there was no path, man-made or otherwise up the river, Kevin managed to ride his way alongside it on his bike. Any enemies he found along the way were either run over or quickly dispatched by his wrench. He panted as the incline became steeper, and his now intense fever didn't help. The boy found himself taking increasingly frequent breaks to splash water on his face and rest. However, the sun was beginning to lower from the sky, so he hurried and rode with more determination.

By the time he was tired enough to have to walk his bike up the steep hill, he reached a point where it began to level out. A few feet later, he found himself at the bottom of a small but imposing cliff. The river poured out from the bottom of it, from an opening too low and flat for a boy to fit through.

Seeing no way to get any higher, he turned around to find that he was high up on a mountainside. The world below him was covered in an enormous forest bathed in golden light. Trees blanketed the land, rising and falling into various hills and mountains. Squinting, Kevin could make out a small patch of buildings at the base of the mountain he was on, just past where the river appeared to end.

"Of course!" Kevin said to himself, lightly smacking himself on the head, "this is where the waterfall comes from!"

He snorted at his stupidity for a moment as he turned back around to the cliff. Right next to the river, he noticed, was a peculiar cave. It was just a bit taller than he was, and almost perfectly round. He peered into it curiously, setting his bike up next to the cliff. It was very straight, as he could see light coming from the other side, though what was there exactly was too far away to see. With his curiosity winning over his desire to get back to civilization, he made one quick look behind him and went in.

The cave was as uniform on the inside as it was on the outside, from what he could see with the little light pouring in through either side. It was almost perfectly circular, except for the top which had two deep grooves carved into it. He wondered if anyone lived near here.

When he was about halfway through, the light on the other side of the cave suddenly disappeared. He stumbled and took a few steps back in fear. He heard a low hiss, followed by the sound of something scraping against the stone of the cave. The sound amplified, and air began rushing past him. He quickly turned around and ran out of the cave as fast as he could. Despite his speed, he felt a small breeze go past him. Whatever was in the cave was catching up.

Before it reached Kevin, he managed to reach the end of the cave dive to the left. The thing burst out of the cave behind him. Kevin turned to see an enormous snake before him, its white scales shimmering in the twilight. It loomed over him, its head adorned with sharp, horn-like protrusions and its mouth open to reveal large fangs.

Kevin stood before it, frozen in fear. Suddenly, however, a thought appeared. When it did, his fear turned to disappointment. The snake lunged at the boy, but he jumped to the side to dodge it.

"A giant snake," he complained to himself. He pulled out his wrench, and continued "why does it always gotta be a giant snake?!"

The behemoth struck again, but the attack was slow and he managed to smack its head with his wrench as he sidestepped it. His fear had been replaced with anger and disappointment, allowing him to move and think. He latched onto it for all it was worth.

"Why do they always gotta be friggen' evil?! I _like_ snakes for crying out loud!" It whipped its tail at the boy this time. The attack was much faster than its head and he yelped as it caught him in the stomach. The force of the snake's tail knocked him off his feet and back toward the cliffside. Kevin rolled along the ground as the snake tried to slam its tail on top of him.

"Except when they're trying _to kill me!_" Kevin scrambled to his feet. The snake lashed its tail again, but he ducked and ran toward its head. "Well, if you really are a snake, I bet you can't blink!"

Kevin positioned himself in front of the snake's head. Ignoring his protesting fever, he gathered as much psychic energy as he could into a tiny point in his body.

"PK Flash Alpha!"

The words rolled naturally off of Kevin's tongue as the point exploded into a blinding light right in front of the snake. It hissed in agony. Kevin just barely managed to jump back as it thrashed its body at him. The snake writhed around, knocking down trees and slapping its body into the cliffside.

It stopped quicker than he expected, however. The monster held still, sticking its large tongue out of its mouth and whipping it up and down in the air. It turned around until it was facing Kevin. It charged. The boy jumped to the side only to be hit almost immediately afterward by the snake's tail. He flew through the air and slammed into the cliffside.

Pain surged through Kevin's body as he fell down onto the ground. His fever made the ground seem like ice. The snake wrapped itself around his body. It seemed even colder. He wheezed as air involuntarily forced its way out of his lungs from the snake constricting around him. He struggled to free an arm, only to find that his wrench was on the ground. He tried to conjure up another PK Flash, but he couldn't focus his PSI. His fear began to come back to him. He felt his head buzz with blood that could no longer flow past it as his vision began to fade. He caught a glimpse of his bike, and wanted nothing more than to ride it. Ride it away from the snake. Away from this horrible fever. Away toward that faint melody in the distance…

_Kevin felt the wind rush past his face and through the opening in his cap as he sped down the road. His bike glided under him as he pedaled effortlessly on it. He felt the world move around him as he stood perfectly still, the wheels on his bike spinning in place as the ground sped past under them. Everything turned into a blur as he raced down the road and into the light._

_This last offensive PSI move has no real name. It differs from person to person, but in essence it is a powerful psionic wave, and possibly the most devastating ability there is. It is deeply intertwined with the user's subconscious, more so than any other technique, and many people are incapable of learning it for reasons not yet known. As best as I can put it, it is related to the user's favorite _thing_, be it their favorite thing to do, favorite thing to have, look at, listen to, etc. It is the thing that helps define them as a person, a personal trait that is the strongest and most identifiable thing about them. Whatever it may be, there is an unwritten rule that it will be the name of the user's attack._

Kevin's fever disappeared in an instant. A brilliant, multicolored glow surrounded the boy's body for the second time in his life. The snake held tight to him, but he felt his consciousness returning as he encouraged the energy along. His fear melted into courage. His uncertainty gave way to confidence. He felt the memories of riding his bike turn into pure energy that he let swell within his entire body, swirling around it more and more intensely until he couldn't hold it in anymore.

With the remainder of his breath, he called out the name of his attack. The light exploded out from him.


	11. Crystal Clearing

**Chapter 11**

* * *

"PK Riding!"

Kevin's call echoed down the mountain, trailing after a brilliant burst of light. He felt the snake's grip on him loosen considerably. Finally able to breathe, Kevin freed himself from the beast and jumped to the ground to watch a spectacle before him.

The rainbow of light zipped around the snake, never fading and never slowing. Each color of the spectrum separated into an incredibly thin line that cackled and moved like lighting. The light covered the snake in an angular web that swirled around it. Every time a color streaked across the snake's body, it seemed to literally erase part of it.

By the time the attack finished, the snake was in tatters. Its body was lacerated all over. It didn't bleed, and it still moved even with whole chunks of it missing. The monster roared in pain, and made a pathetic attempt to charge toward Kevin. The boy ran toward the beast himself, picking his wrench off the ground and jumping into the air. Holding his weapon in both hands, he slammed it down onto the snake's head as hard as he could.

A loud hiss erupted from the monster. Its body evaporated into smoke. It plumed past Kevin as he landed, floating up into the sky and disappearing.

Kevin took a weary step back, and felt the cliff face press up behind him. In front of him, a little white garter snake slithered on top of the crushed grass where a behemoth lay just moments ago. It took one look at the boy and scurried away.

The boy stood with his back up against the cliff. He stared at the the area in front of him, which was damaged and crushed from the battle. His legs shook so much that it was hard to stand. He felt exhausted, both in body and PSI. He knew what he'd just done. He had done it once before. He had done it just now. He understood what just happened so much that it hurt.

But… now what?

Kevin let his legs turn to rubber as he slid down the cliff onto the ground. He felt strangely calm about the whole thing. He knew he shouldn't. He knew that a normal person would probably be traumatized or scarred for life if they were nearly killed by a giant snake monster. Maybe even more so if said person up and killed _it_ instead. But Kevin didn't feel anything like that. He didn't fall to pieces or begin crying or anything like people in movies he'd seen often did. He just felt tired, and the desire to find a place to rest overpowered the thought of what just happened.

He looked out to the horizon to see the last of the sun's red glow fade beyond it, and exhaled in frustration. The forest was dark and confusing enough in the day, and he knew he'd never be able to find his way through it at night. The sky was clear, so he couldn't follow the city lights like last time, and even if he could see the town now, he'd certainly loose the direction once he got into the thick of things.

"I'll just have to camp out, I guess."

The exhausted boy stumbled on weak legs toward the river. In a stroke of sudden remembrance, he frantically whirled around to see the cliff wall. He saw his bike faithfully leaning against it, undisturbed from the battle. After a big sigh of relief, he walked over to it, and realized that his fever was gone. He put his hand on his forehead. It was cool, and when he wiped away a few cold droplets of sweat, it still stayed that way.

Right next to Kevin's bike was the hole in the cliffside. He cautiously peered into it, but saw nothing but the light on the other side. With his curiosity and fatigue overpowering his rationality, the boy took his bike and walked back into the small cave. However, before going too far, he had an idea and he backed out of the cave. He turned his bike around so he could walk it backwards through the hole. If anything else attacked him, he thought, he'd have a quicker escape.

He made his way through the cave cautiously, but without incident this time. He still had trouble understanding what he was seeing on the other side until he reached the end of the cave and it opened up to him.

"Woah." Kevin found himself walking into a shimmering oasis, surrounded by the large cliff wall all the way around to form a flat bowl the width of a football field. Trees and plants covered the area, but instead of leaves and wood, they were made entirely of crystals. Each leaf and twig, petal and stem, and root and trunk was a clear, brilliant gem that glowed softly but differently than one another in the night. A lake in the middle of the area shimmered and sparkled in the light of the thousands of crystals as it flowed into the river cutting through the cliffside. The ground was stone, but the gemstone plants were rooted deep into it in an expression of might among their beauty.

Kevin felt strange as he walked toward the lake, driven by awe and a strange yet gentle force pulling him toward it. A powerful sense of peace and content washed over him and eased his fatigue. He didn't flinch as he stepped into the water with his bike and began to wade toward an island in the middle of the lake. The water was just as warm as the air, and it made him feel weightless as he began swimming to the tiny island.

When he arrived, the water dried almost instantly as the boy stepped out of it with his bike alongside him. At the very center of the island was where the gentle push was egging him to go, but the boy didn't even notice it until it faded as he reached his destination.

Before he could question what it was, he found himself looking down at something on the ground. He saw himself looking back up, through an elongated wedge of jagged edges. It took him a few seconds of awe before he finally realized that he was looking down at a mirror on the ground. Kevin picked it up. It was shaped like a long, jagged pizza slice, with two edges shattered and angular with the third, short one being a slight, smooth curve. It was the length of his forearm, and its surface was immaculate.

With an absentminded "Cool," Kevin put the mirror in his pocket. He gazed at the beauty around him one more time before laying down on the ground, not caring whether or not this was a dream or reality. He didn't know why he decided to lay down right there all of a sudden, but the night was so clear and he felt so calm. He needed a place to rest anyway, and this place never felt safer.

Despite that it was solid stone, he felt surprisingly comfortable laying on the ground. He listened to the water in the lake as it gently slid toward the cliff wall, eager to become part of the river beyond. The light glow of the area was just soft enough not to seep through the boy's eyelids as they grew heavy and closed. The world slowly faded around him as he slowly drifted to sleep.

**~α~**

**"…Not good! Not good! Not good!"**

**"What's not good?"**

**"Wh-what? Hello?"**

**"Wait… Ed, is that you? It's me, Kevin!"**

**"K-Kevin!"**

**"What's not good, Ed?"**

**"Sarah! They got Sarah!"**

**"Who got Sarah, Ed?"**

**"I… I don't know! But it's not good! Not good! I can't lose Sarah too! Not after… Not after…"**

**"Where are you?"**

**"L-lemon Brook. I think. I-I-"**

**"Don't worry, Ed. I'll come find you, and we'll find Sarah. Okay?"**

**"O-okay."**

**~α~**

Daylight pierced through Kevin's eyelids as the sound of Ed's voice faded away. His eyes fluttered open to be greeted by the sight of a thousand reflections of the bright blue sky around him. He sat up and yawned as he aroused from possibly the greatest sleep of his life. Though it was too bright to see the crystals' gentle glow and the sun wasn't high enough to shine over the wall that surrounded the area, it was as beautiful as it was last night.

He stood and picked his bike up off the ground. Was that dream…

Yes, Kevin thought. It was definitely real. He could no longer hear Ed's voice, but he could feel the boy's sadness. He felt a strange tug in his mind, nudging him in a particular direction. It must be where Ed is, he realized.

"Sorry Mom, but something weird's going on, and I'm going to find out what it is."

* * *

**End Part 1**


	12. Party of Two

**Part 2**

* * *

******Chapter 12**

* * *

"Hey, you need a ride?"

Kevin turned to his left as he rode his bike down a long, narrow road through the forest. A large SUV pulled up next to him, driven by a large, gruff man. He sported a thick, brown beard that covered most of his face, while darker hair coated his arms up to the sleeves of a red polo shirt.

"Uh…' Kevin thought for a moment. He had been riding his bike all morning, and though he had gotten a good night's sleep, the lack of breakfast was starting to take its toll. "Sure, yeah."

The man smiled, resting a big arm on the edge of his window while he pulled over to the side of the road. "Where're you headed, kid?"

"Lemon Brook. That alright?"

"It's on the way to Lime Lake, so yeah. Throw your bike in the back and hop in."

Kevin opened the back of the red SUV and lifted his bike up into it. In the back of his mind, he knew his mom would kill him for accepting a ride from a stranger, but as big as the man was, he was no giant snake. After some struggle with wedging his bike amongst the various items in the back, he finally got it in far enough to allow the door to close all the way. He climbed into the shotgun seat and the man resumed driving.

"How long have you been out there? You got attacked by those weird crows that've started showing up, I'm guessing." the man asked. Kevin shortly gave a puzzled look, wondering why he had asked that. His eyes widened and he looked down at his clothes, which were still badly torn.

"Uh, about a day. There're also these weird Coil Snakes and Yammonster things," he explained. "They're not a problem anymore though."

He spoke the truth in more ways than one. When he left the crystal place, any monster he came across fled from him instead of attacking, apparently terrified. He wondered if defeating the snake had anything to do with it.

"You're a tough kid," the man praised. "So, what brings you to Lemon Brook from the middle of the forest?"

"Just visiting a friend," Kevin replied. Another thing that was technically true, but just the tip of the iceberg. He decided that it would be best not to tell people about his psychic powers unless he really needed to.

"Where're your parents? You're not running away from home or anything like that are ya?"

"What? No!" he protested, sounding a bit too defensively than he'd hoped. This time he felt like he was lying a little. He _was_ running away from home, albeit not because of his parents.

"Okay, I was just asking," the man defended, "I'm not the kind of guy that gets involved with others' business."

The late morning sunlight strobed through the window as it flickered between the tall trees surrounding the road. Kevin felt his stomach rumble, and, feeling embarrassed, he tightened it in an attempt to keep the man from hearing. He scoffed at himself, angry that he didn't get something to eat at Cherry Falls before blindly perusing the tug on his mind urging him to go to Ed's aid. Another wave of regret hit him as he realized that his parents knew nothing about this, and were probably worried sick.

He'd definitely have to call them when he reached Lemon Brook. He wondered how his mother would take the news. She was oddly supportive of him when he chased the Spiteful Crow into the forest to get the journal back, but he didn't know how she'd react to him heading—_hitchhiking_-into another town miles away to help his friend because a dream he had in a place made of crystals told him to.

Kevin decided he'd leave out that last part.

With the boredom of sitting in the car eating away at his thoughts, he decided to take out the journal. Skimming past the list of abilities, the word "fever" snagged his attention and he turned back a page to the beginning of the article:

**_Training_**

**_Over time since first realizing one's PSI, his or her ability to utilize abilities will increase with practice and experience. Exercising one's PSI is crucial for strengthening it, and it is equally beneficial to strengthen the user's body as well._**

**_PSI naturally develops over years, but this process can be sped up immensely when the body is put under intense physical stress often. Fighting with PSI is considered the best way to strengthen it, though I personally would not condone meaningless violence._**

**_Another way to strengthen PSI is through what is essentially training. The repetition of an ability such as PSI Lifeup or PK Thunder will gradually increase the user's subconscious understanding of it. This will eventually cause the person to realize a stronger and more potent form of the ability._**

**_As I've mentioned before, PSI is not indigenous to humans. Even when one is born with it, the body considers this power to be a foreign entity invading the mind. When a person begins to understand an ability, the part of their brain that controls PSI swarms itself with psionic energy. The rest of the brain reacts as if this were a hostile threat and increases the body's internal temperature in hopes of doing away with it. In other words, one develops a sort of "psychic fever" that can last anywhere from a few minutes to over a day. There is no need to worry, however, as these fevers are generally harmless and they go away almost instantly when the user learns the ability and their PSI calms down._**

"We're almost there."

Kevin looked up from the journal and closed it. The flecks of light coming through the window became less frequent and larger as the trees began to thin out. In the distance, he could see the town of Lemon Brook. It was a small town, but just a bit bigger than Cherry Falls as far as he could tell. He recognized a shimmering line near the horizon as the river that would eventually flow down into Peach Creek.

Peach Creek. The memories of growing up flooded his thoughts. Only four days ago was when he lived a normal life growing up with normal friends, but that suddenly felt like much longer ago. It was almost nostalgic when he thought back to a few weeks before, when he and Nazz were chasing the Eds to punish them for their horrible scam.

"Alright," said the man, "where do you want me to drop you off at?"

Kevin snapped out of his memory-induced trance and looked around him. They were driving down a quiet road with houses on either side of them. Focusing on the now powerful tug on his mind, Kevin looked off to the right of the car. Over there, he thought, that's where Ed must be.

"You can drop me off here," he said. The man complied and pulled over to the side of the road.

"Take care," he said after the boy got his bike out of the back, "I hope things work out for you."

"Thanks for the ride," Kevin said as the car drove away. Soon it was out of sight, and he now was alone in the quiet suburb. Sunlight warmed his skin while rushing air cooled it down as he sped down the street on his bike.

Despite the pleasantness of the day, he felt strangely alert. He was in _Lemon Brook_ of all places. Even outside of school events, Lemon Brook kids had always been an enemy of Peach Creek kids. Kevin tried to scoff at the idea of anyone beating on him in the middle of the street, but he felt a strange alertness, as if a Lemon Brook Lumper could jump out at him at any—

What felt like a cannonball smacked Kevin in the side and knocked him clean off his bike. He yelled as the road scraped against him and tore through his wounds. A football jockey that he thought he was simply imagining a split second ago was now laying on top of him, raising a fist to beat the boy further into the ground. Before the assailant could throw the first punch, however, the comparatively scrawny boy underneath him summoned a blast of blinding light.

Kevin wasted no time in pulling out his wrench and getting back on his feet while his attacker writhed. He stumbled in pain himself as his new injuries demanded that they not be ignored. The jockey wiped at his face through his helmet. A shiver ran up Kevin's spine as he looked at the attacker's arms. The jockey's skin was an unnatural, almost iridescent shade of blue. The brute finally removed his helmet to wipe tears from his angry, gruff face, which was the same disturbing color as his arms.

Giving him the benefit of the doubt, Kevin waited, silently healing himself in the process, ready to attack as the other boy came back to his senses. When the football player turned to lunge at him again, he didn't hesitate to smack the wrench in his face.

The jock screamed and tumbled on the pavement. Kevin turned toward him to strike again, but he stopped. The other boy's skin began to fade back to a regular tan as he held his hands up to his face. Cautiously, Kevin approached him. Without moving close enough for him to possibly attack again, he held out his hands and whispered, "PSI Lifeup."

The jock removed his hands from his face as he felt the pain soothe away. A small trickle of blood from his nose was the only thing indicating that he got injured at all, and he looked up at Kevin in confusion.

"Huh? Who are you?" he asked. Before Kevin could answer, he looked around and said, "How'd I get here?"

"I… found you unconscious," Kevin lied, hoping the other boy wouldn't remember getting hit with a wrench. "You hit your head on, uh, the light pole."

The boy wiped his nose and inspected the blood on his thumb. "Darn it, Mom's gonna flip!" Without another word, the jock picked up his helmet and ran off. When he was out of sight, Kevin picked up his bike and continued down the road.

Now _people_ are going crazy, he thought as he sped down the road, cautious and alert as ever. The thought of someone turning evil—be it spontaneously or even over time—only to turn good again after getting beaten disturbed him. What if _he_ suddenly turned blue and started tackling random people on the side of the road?

He got so caught up in his thoughts that he barely noticed himself turn and ride up a driveway. Narrowly avoiding crashing into the garage door, he stopped and parked his bike in the shade. He inspected the house. It seemed no different than any of the others in the neighborhood, but Kevin felt a powerful urge to go inside. Before he knew it, he found himself knocking on the door nearly automatically.

Faint thuds grew into thumps as someone trudged up to the door from inside. After the sound of several locks clicking, the door opened slightly.

"Oh, it's you," grunted Ed's father from behind several door chains. "What are you doing here?"

Kevin stood in front of the house in a daze. Not amused, the man snapped his fingers in front of the boy, and it brought him out of his trance.

"Wha-huh?" he snapped out of his thoughts and looked around, just then noticing where he was. Seeing the man in front of him clearly losing patience, he said, "O-oh, is Ed here?"

"You came all the way here just to see _Ed_? I didn't know you two were friends."

Kevin opened his mouth, but the man cut him off and added, "But now's not a good time, like there ever was one."

"Why?" With a little sneer, Kevin asked, "Is he doing something right now?"

The man sneered back. "That's none of your business."

"Look, I just wanna hang out with him for a bit."

"Well too bad." Kevin's sneer grew into a full-on scowl. "We're busy dealing with a crisis here."

"Sarah's been kidnapped, I know." After a beat, Kevin suddenly wished he hadn't said that.

"H-how," stuttered Ed's father, "do you know that?" The man's sneer grew into a glare, his eyes locked on Kevin in a mental choke hold. Kevin suddenly felt like the many door chains wouldn't do well to keep the man from strangling him.

"I-I…"

"I told him."

Kevin had never been so happy to hear Ed's voice. Ed's father turned around, and Kevin was able to breathe again. He saw Ed emerge from behind the man. A small chill went up Kevin's spine when he saw that Ed wasn't smiling his usual smile. His face was crestfallen, and his eyes were bloodshot and dull. His face was visibly stretched in certain places, as if the boy had never made such sad expressions before.

"You told him?" the man echoed. "Why did you tell him about Sarah?"

"To h-help me," Ed explained. "To help me find Sarah."

The man sighed in frustration, but it was tinged with sadness as well. In an act that surprised Kevin, he crouched down so that he was face-to-face with his son and said in a soft voice, "Look, I know you want to find your sister. We have the police on the case, and they'll find her, but it's just not something you or your friend can do by yourselves."

Ed nodded, sniffing quietly. The man turned back to Kevin and, with the same softness he had with Ed, said, "You should go home."

"C-can I at least hang out with Ed for a while?" he asked. With another exasperated but gentle sigh, he nodded his head and stepped aside to let his son out of the door.

"Just don't get in trouble," he ordered, shutting the door behind them.

Kevin smiled as he saw Ed's expression light up a little. Ed stepped forward, almost as if to ensnare Kevin in one of his infamous bone-crushing hugs, but the action died before he could lift his arms up.

"Th-thank you," Ed said quiet.

Kevin smiled, hoping Ed would do the same. "Alright big guy," he proclaimed, "let's go find your sister."


	13. Kinda Friends

**Chapter 13**

* * *

"So Ed, what's been going on around here?"

Kevin walked his bike alongside Ed, constantly scanning the area around them for a potential threat. Even after healing himself, he could still feel a ghost of the horrible pain that came from getting tackled to the ground by two hundred pounds of football jock swimming around in his bones.

"Weird stuff," Ed replied. His voice was soft but cracked, as if he didn't enjoy talking much. Kevin could understand why, considering everything that had happened to the poor boy in such a short time. He just wished it didn't make him feel so terrible as well.

"What kind of weird stuff?" Kevin asked. He'd been alone for quite a while, and talking with a familiar person—even if it was Ed of all people—felt comforting, like not everything had changed from his old life.

"Weird stuff, like monster birds and evil snakes and blue people who attack people and monsters who kidnap—"

"Alright, I get it," Kevin interrupted. He silently thanked himself for cutting Ed off in fear that he'd talk about Sarah and possibly have a breakdown. The boy almost seemed on the verge of tears as it was.

"Let's just concentrate on getting to the mayor, alright?" Having no leads on who or where Sarah's kidnappers were, Kevin decided it would be best to find the mayor of Lemon Brook and talk with him. He could get a map of the town or possibly some kind of sympathy. Or at the very least, he could call his parents.

"Oh—ok," Ed replied. Despite his depression, the boy kept his awkward walking posture; where he would lean back and let the upper half of his body bounce to the rhythm of his legs moving back and forth. Curious, and somewhat bored, Kevin decided to mimic him and leaned back as well. It was immediately uncomfortable, and he nearly lost his balance until he braced himself on the bike for support. Before he got back up, however, he noticed the sky above him. With no clouds to get in the way, it glowed in the sunlight, showing a billion different shades of blue at once.

Kevin found himself forgetting his discomfort as he gazed up. He realized that he'd never really _looked_ at the sky before; it was always there, but in the background. But when he really looked at it, he felt his eyes widen in wonder. It was as if the sky was a projection cast by the aliens of Geegg-9 in order to cover up the fact that they're towing the planet out of its orbit—

Wait, what?

Kevin snapped out of his trance and stood up straight. He shook his head, which was now flooded with thoughts of aliens and what appeared to be scenes from some kind of cheesy sci-fi film that he'd never watched. He looked over at Ed, who was still walking at a brisk pace but with eyes glazed over in thought.

"Hey, Ed," he questioned slowly, "what are you thinking about right now?"

Ed snapped out of his own trance and answered with a "Huh?" Kevin repeated himself patiently.

"Oh, I was thinking about The Invaders From Geegg-9, a movie where these aliens steal planets and sell them on the intergalactic black market and—"

"And it's up to Captain Netnin to get Earth back to its solar system?"

"You've seen it?" Ed's face lit up in surprise.

"No!"

It then sank into confusion. Before Kevin could explain, a soft rhythm of thuds grew loud enough to gain their attention.

With a yelp, the two jumped to the side. Half a second later, three large football jocks charged down the sidewalk. Their skin was so blue that it nearly glowed. Their humanity was even more alienated by their yellow football helmets, which covered their faces in darkness. With protecting his bike becoming the first priority, Kevin scrambled to it and ran across a small turf of grass to lean it up next to one of the large, tan buildings that populated the street in lieu of houses.

One of the assailants ran up tried to grab for Kevin. He quickly brandished his wrench and smacked it down on the jock's hand. He smiled for a moment at his speed but had no time to change his expression to shock as the enemy slammed his other fist into the smaller boy's side. He felt a disgusting spray of air and saliva blast out of his nose and mouth as he flew across the street.

He skidded across the rough pavement, leaving behind small tatters of cloth and skin. His ability to think rattled and blurred with each horrid bounce, leaving nothing but pain and instinct to take over. When he finally stopped, he lay sprawled on the ground for a few seconds, desperately trying to conjure enough PSI to heal his wounds—or at least damper the excruciating pain on his side.

A spark of thought quickly wormed its way through the panic, asking him why he wasn't getting attacked again. He managed to muster enough willpower to force his eyes to open, and he was greeted with the sight of three monstrous athletes beating down on Ed. They punched the boy back and forth between one another. Ed then tripped, and the brutes began to kick at him. Giving in to the pain of keeping his eyes open, he closed them and managed to draw some PSI from his mind.

Almost instantly Kevin felt better, allowing the energy to permeate through his wounds and soothe the pain. By the time he had fully healed himself, he had almost no PSI energy left. He managed to get up, but a sudden exhaustion forced him to stagger as he tried to get to Ed. With his own pain gone, the impact of seeing his friend in such peril was much greater.

Before Kevin could help, however, a burst of heat and light exploded from the battle. Kevin shielded his eyes for a moment, but the light died as quickly as it had come.

He lowered his hands to see fire enveloping all three jocks. They failed around wildly in an attempt to extinguish themselves. The flames burned brightly, even in the midday sun. In the middle of the chaos, he saw a badly beaten Ed struggle to his feet. The boy's eyes were wide open, emanating fear and panic as he gazed down upon the figures that were previously beating him into the concrete.

Before he could react, Kevin saw Ed twitch and he felt a sudden wave blast through him. It drove the remainder of his PSI wild and caused it to buzz through his skull. It ate away at his consciousness, so much that he barely realized the instantaneous drop in temperature around him and his sudden inability to move or breathe.

By the time Kevin managed to regain control of his own mind, he blacked out.

**~αα~**

_"Kevin! Kevin! Kev_in! Wake up!"

_Crack!_

Kevin opened his eyes, blinking away the cold from them. His mind felt numb like his body, and all he could see was Ed's face. In a sudden fit of panic, he gasped, forcing his stomach out. A freezing pressure pushed back on it, cutting his breath short. In a small burst of awareness, he shivered and tried to move whatever part of his body that he could. It was then that he realized that his body was encased in solid, clear ice. His face was uncovered, and the ice around his midsection had cracked, allowing him to move his stomach in and out just enough to breathe.

"D-don't worry! I-I'll h-h-help!" The panicked Ed held up the wrench. Before the frozen boy could protest, Ed closed his eyes and struck the weapon against the ice. Kevin heard small clinks of ice bouncing along the ground, and his arm was free.

"G-give me the wrench, Ed," he commanded, still not fully conscious, "I-I'll take it from here." The green-clad boy obeyed, and Kevin started hacking away at his frigid prison. He glanced over at Ed, finally able to see the boy properly. A shiver went up his spine, this one stronger than the others that were trying to warm him up. The large boy in front of him was badly beaten; his clothes were ripped and blood was spattered in a few places, and half of his face was either bleeding or swollen. Kevin gasped in horror. Those guys were in for the kill, he realized, and if they could do that to someone like Ed…

Kevin tried not to dwell on it as he began chipping away at the ice surrounding him. His mind was filled with questions, but he blocked them out in order to focus on the task at hand. A few minutes of hacking and huffing later, Kevin was free, though a few stubborn pieces of frost still clung to his drenched clothes.

"Help me with these guys," he said after shaking the feeling back into his legs and walking over to the frozen boys. "They turn back to normal when you beat them up."

Ed complied without a question and helped Kevin hack away the ice on the first boy. With Kevin's instruction, Ed found that breaking the ice with a small rock was much more effective than breathing on it.

"How did you do that?" Kevin asked as they worked.

"Do what?"

"Set those guys on fire. And then freeze all of us."

Ed's face lowered. "I-I'm sorry."

"What?"

"M-Mom and Dad…" Ed's voice wavered, and he stopped working on breaking the ice. "They told me t-to never do it again. But it hurt—and I… it hurt so bad, I just… I'm s-sorrry!"

Kevin paused, letting the wrench slip out of his hand. "Your parents knew you could do that? How long have you known how to do it?"

"I w-was little," Ed explained, clearly uneasy about the subject, "I-It just happened one day. I was so excited. I thought I h-had superpowers. B-but then I showed it to Mom, but she screamed and told me never to do it again. The fire or ice."

"Oh… darn." Kevin winced inwardly at how that came out. Ed resumed working, but seemed more miserable than ever. The fact that half of his face was swollen and beaten didn't help with that.

The boys continued working without a word, and they soon had the first jock free. His skin was still blue, though it was from the cold rather than… whatever _else_ was causing it, Kevin wondered. Confused and dazed, the large boy simply complied without a question when Kevin told him to help free the other two.

The three managed to free another, and quickly they all broke the third jock out. The large boys, though not fully aware, didn't seem to be harmed by being frozen for so long, and after a simple "Thanks dude," they left peacefully, if confused.

"At least I didn't have to come up with a story this time," Kevin thought aloud. After retrieving his bike, he turned back toward Ed. With a comforting hand—and the last of his PSI, Kevin saw the boy brighten up a little, and they continued their way toward the heart of Lemon Brook.


	14. Fever Dreams

**Chapter 14**

* * *

"…Ah! Here it is!"

**_PK Fire is one of the most basic elemental and offensive psionic abilities one can learn. Like with Lifeup, however, this does not mean it isn't very useful or potent. In all simplicity, it allows one to create fire from their body, as well as providing temporary resistance to it in order not to harm the user. The intensity as well as the range of the flames are dependent on the level of the ability; at Alpha level, it is difficult to light something more than three feet away, but at Gamma or Sigma levels one can create a wall of fire over thirty feet high or long. However, like most element-based PSI, there is a small percent of people who aren't able to utilize this ability at all._**

"And I think this is the second thing you did:"

**_PK Freeze is essentially the opposite of PK Fire, whereas the latter creates flames and intense heat, the former creates frozen water particles and takes away heat. It can encase targets completely or partially in volumes of ice and is very effective for putting out fires. Be warned, however, that in higher levels, it can be very lethal as one can freeze the water in an organism's body, where it will expand and rupture organs and tissue. Its Pi and Omega forms are among the most powerful PSI abilities one can wield._**

"So that settles it," Kevin announced, snapping the book shut with one hand before putting it in his pocket, "you can use PSI, like me."

"Way cool!" Ed shouted. He ran back and fourth along the sidewalk in excitement, nimbly weaving around other people before Kevin grabbed his shirt and pulled him back.

"Look, I know you're excited," he said, "but we can't go prancing around like that. Any one of these people could attack us."

Ed frowned for a second, but resumed his cheery mood while obeying the other boy's orders. Kevin smiled himself, glad to see the big lug happy again. He wasn't nearly back to normal; he was happy by normal people standards, which hardly came close to _Ed_ standards.

As the boys made their way through Lemon Brook, attacks became more and more common. Their opponents became more varied than just football jocks; men in business cloths, women, pompous or modest, and even stray dogs would come at the two boys with a thirst for blood. And they weren't the only targets; all around the town, people were getting assaulted, and police squads and bystanders alike helped bring the assailants to their senses. The attacks were far apart enough not to be causing total chaos, but an air of paranoia and fear of an unknown threat was all around.

With one getting used to using his wrench as a weapon and the other already gifted with massive strength, Kevin and Ed helped ward off attacks where they could, though they were most often attacked first. They refrained from using PSI other than for Kevin to indiscreetly heal himself and others; the last thing they needed was to attract more attention to themselves, he figured.

By the time the two had made it downtown, however, just thinking of PSI made Kevin's head throb as he felt a psychic fever pulsing in his mind. Sweat dripped down his face almost constantly, though much of it was from the stress of fighting and walking. His body felt sore, even with the healing effects of PSI Lifeup, which he couldn't use very much anyway because of how slowly his energy regenerated.

"Are you okay, Kevin?" Ed asked, noticing the sluggish pace that the hatted boy walked his bike along.

"I'm fine," Kevin replied. His face felt as if it were pressed to an uncomfortably warm stove. He forced himself to keep walking, leaning on his bike to help take the immense weight of his body off of his rubbery legs. His stomach growled and complained loudly, gurgling every few seconds as the boy trudged onward.

Ed said something, but it was drowned out by Kevin's thoughts and his stomach. The world seemed to melt as he continued his march into oblivion.

**~αα~**

_Darkness surrounded Kevin. The earthly shackles of his body fell away as he found himself floating in nothingness, light as air. He himself was nothing but pure energy, a sole light in the infinite black._

_Something came towards the boy. He couldn't see nor hear it, but he could feel its evil presence rapidly closing in on him at a blinding speed. A sheet of fear diminished his glow as he realized what was heading towards him: Pain, misery, everything that could take away his light forever and leave him to be forever lost in the void._

_Before the malevolence hit, he felt something connect. It was the slightest tick, but it made all the difference in the world. He took his light and swirled it around him, forming a plate that glowed brighter than ever. Just as the pain was about to reach him, he thrust the plate out in front of him with both his mind and his almost-forgotten body._

_He watched in awe as the evil sprayed off of the shield of light, deflected in all directions around him and back into the depths of the void where it dissipated into the nothingness from which it came. The shield vanished when its job was done, and he felt himself fall out of the void, into the confines of his body, _and backward into Ed's arms.

"Whoa, are you okay?" Ed asked.

"Wh-what just happened?"

"You stopped moving, and before I could ask 'Hey Kevin, what's wrong?' you punched in front of you with your palms out and then you suddenly fell over and I caught you and—"

"Okay, I get it," Kevin interrupted. Rolling off of Ed's smelly arms and onto the ground, he managed to lift himself back to his feet. Aside from a few stray drops of sweat, there was nothing left of his fever, though his stomach continued to growl loudly.

"Here."

It took him a few seconds before he understood what Ed was holding out in front of him. When Kevin finally grasped what it was, he nearly cried tears of joy. In Ed's hand, not two feet away from Kevin's face, was a hot dog on a bun. It had a stream of ketchup and a stream of mustard and it was the most glorious thing he had ever seen in his life.

Without thinking, he snatched the ambrosial combination of meat and bread and shoved the whole thing in his mouth. He savored the sweet taste of the hot dog, desperately trying to find a good balance between chewing to get more flavor and swallowing to curb his ravenous hunger pangs. When he had finished the meal, his brain became functional enough to remember that Ed gave him the food in the first place.

"Oh, thank you, man!" Kevin praised.

Ed smiled, and said, "Your stomach was sad, so I got some hot dogs over there." He pointed with his thumb back to a hot dog stand a few feet away.

"Huh, I didn't notice that." The boy held his head, remembering what had just happened. As he and Ed resumed walking down the busy sidewalk, Kevin pulled out the journal and began to skim through it. He found the paragraph that played in his head the moment after his fever went away.

**_PSI Shield is a very useful ability in my opinion. Not to be confused with Psychic Shield, which is listed below, this power allows the user to create a barrier that deflects or impairs physical attacks. The higher level the ability, the longer the shield lasts and the more effective it is. Unfortunately, it does nothing to protect against psychically-created attacks, but that is what Psychic Shield is for._**

"Oh, cool!" he said, excited. "This'll come in handy." After Ed asked what happened, Kevin explained the concept of psychic fevers and learning new PSI abilities to him as they walked down the sidewalk. Ed listened intently, though he would occasionally get distracted by the noises of the city around them.

The two didn't get into any more fights as they made their way to the large building ahead of them. Kevin was a bit disappointed by that, as he was eager to try out his newly learned ability, but he was also grateful since he and Ed were both hungry and tired by the time they finally reached their destination.

"Whoa." The boys looked up at the capitol of Lemon Brook as it loomed over them. It wasn't a particularly large building, but Kevin felt a sudden nervousness as he approached it.

"It anyone might know where Sarah is, or who could've taken her," he reminded himself, "it'll be the mayor." He gripped the handle of his bike a little harder, and he perked up, suddenly remembering he had been walking it.

"…Ah!" Kevin looked around and saw a bike rack near the building, providing a short distraction from the task on hand. He quickly parked his bike between the bars, and then slapped his hand to his face when he realized he didn't have anything to lock it up with.

Before he could utter a "shoot", however, Ed stepped up to the bike and took off his jacket. With a single flick of his wrist, the boy whipped it at the bike. The thing wrapped and weaved the wheels, the frame and the bike rack itself until one of the arms of the jacket came back to Ed's hand. He tied the two arms in a knot, and the bike was secured firmly to the rack.

"How did you do that?" Kevin asked, astonished. Ed shrugged in his red and white striped T-shirt and gave a quizzical smile.

Kevin knew better than to inquire further.

Turning back to the building, the boys gathered their courage and went inside.


	15. Battle Against the Snarky Receptionist

**Chapter 15**

* * *

"Can I help you?"

"We're here to see the mayor."

The thin man at the front desk of the capitol building raised a quizzical, sleek eyebrow at the two boys in front of him. His skeptic expression broadcast an indifferent attitude to the seriousness of Kevin's statement, made all the more insulting by his dull glare and slight sneer.

"Do you have an appointment?" he sighed, scratching his head of short, black hair. A single strand of hair formed a curly cowlick that bobbed just above the man's eyebrows. Ed had to take a step back to keep himself from tying to pluck it.

"N-no," Kevin stuttered. "But it's urgent that we see him ASAP!"

"Sorry kids. The mayor's too busy to settle who gets to go down the slide first." The man gave a smug, sarcastic smile, as if inwardly laughing at his own joke.

Kevin tried his best to hide his newfound contempt, and through gritted teeth sputtered, "Can I at least call my mom then?"

"Sure, why not. I bet she'll give you milk and cookies to make you two feel all better," the man snarked. He pointed a pale, bony finger to a payphone on the wall near the desk. Kevin wished that he knew some kind of PSI that would let him mess with the sarcastic mandork, but those thoughts were washed out with nervousness as he reached the phone and slowly dialed his parents' number.

_"Hello?"_ came a familiar woman's voice.

"H-Hey, Mom."

_"Kevin! Oh thank goodness, are you alright?"_

"Yeah, yeah, I'm okay," Kevin replied. He leaned up against the wall and tensed, trying to sort out how he was going to explain everything to her.

_"Where are you?"_

"I-I'm in Lemon Brook," he replied, a bit surprised by the sudden warmth in her voice.

_"Lemon Brook?"_ She sounded surprised, but not angry. _"What on Earth are you doing all the way down there?"_

"I'm… well, I'm helping Ed out here. Sarah got kidnapped and we're trying to get the mayor's help finding her." he explained. "But some stupid _dork!_ " he cast a fierce glance at the receptionist, who sneered back at him with equal malice, "won't let us see him."

_"Oh, sweetie, it's not easy to see the mayor of a town like Lemon Brook,"_ she replied. _"But you're there to help out Ed? Isn't he one of those kids you used to complain about?"_

"Y-yeah, I used to pick on him" Kevin admitted, feeling a bit of guilt expand in his throat, "but we're friends now, and he needs my help." He turned to see Ed smile at the comment, and the guilt went away.

_"Well, you're safer with someone with you, and that's what matters."_

"I'm really sorry about all this, Mom. I promise I'll come home as soon as I can, but—"

_"Do what you feel you have to do,"_ she said kindly. _"I'll back you up a hundred percent. Things are getting strange, both for you and the rest of the world it seems. I have the feeling that I couldn't keep you cooped up in this house if I tried."_ Her voice became labored and cracked, and Kevin could tell she was trying not to cry. He was holding back tears of his own, clutching the cord of the phone as he leaned up against the wall. His mother had never been so supportive of his actions before, but he had never really needed it until now. It was a strange yet wonderful feeling.

"W-where's Dad?" he asked, hoping to change to a happier subject for her sake.

_"He's at work at his new job in Cherry Falls,"_ she replied. _"He looked all over for you yesterday, seeing as how you were gone all day. We were just about to call a search for you, actually, and I'm glad you're safe."_

"Are you gonna call Dad and let him know?"

_"Actually, he wanted me to have you call him if the chance ever came up,"_ she announced.

"Really?"

_"He said he wanted to give something to you. Do you still have that map of Cherry Falls?"_

Kevin nodded, and a few seconds of silence passed before he remembered he was talking on the phone. "Oh, yeah. I have it."

_"Write this number down."_

Kevin searched his pocket and found that he didn't have anything to write with. He asked Ed if he had anything, and the boy responded by going over to the front desk and taking one of the pens chained to it. The chain snapped as he effortlessly yanked it away from the desk, earning both an angry "Hey!" from the receptionist and a whole new level of respect and admiration from Kevin.

The hatted boy gratefully took the pen from Ed, enjoying himself as he felt the stare of the man behind him try and pierce through his confidence without prevail. He wrote the number down on the map, and with a solemn yet loving goodbye to his mother, he hung up the phone and dialed it.

_"Hello?"_ came a man's voice.

"Hey Dad! It's me, Kevin."

_"Kevin! What happened yesterday? Your mother told me you went to get your bike back and never came home!"_

"Yea, a few… things happened," Kevin said, reluctant to describe his venture into the woods, "but I'm in Lemon Brook with Ed now and we're trying to see the mayor."

_"Lemon Brook? The mayor? What for?"_

"Ed's sister got kidnapped," he replied, a bit annoyed at having to explain all over again, "and the mayor might know something about it."

_"I see. Did you call your mother already?"_

"Yeah, and she said you wanted to give me something"

_"Oh, that's right. Where are you calling from, exactly?"_

"We're in like the capitol building or something. Wherever the mayor's office is."

"You mean a city hall."

"Oh, yeah." Kevin blushed, and grew sour as he heard the receptionist snickering behind him.

_"Anyway, I have to get back to work. Stay in city hall and I'll send it to you. Use it wisely."_

He hung up before Kevin could ask what "it" was.

So the boys waited. The receptionist gave them dirty looks as they sat on the stiff chairs near the entrance, but soon found himself busy answering calls at the desk. Kevin felt his chair creak from underneath him whenever he shifted his weight. His eyes wandered around the lobby, which didn't seem quite as grand as it had when he first came in. The sun shone through the windows at the front, illuminating a few flecks of dust floating in the air. Kevin looked down at the tile floor, and scrunched his face upon seeing bits of grime and soap scum lining the corners of the room.

Finally, a stout man wearing a pale green uniform walked into the building. Kevin looked up at the clock and his eyes widened as he realized only a few minutes had passed since he called his father.

"Is a Mister Kevin… " the man looked at the small envelope he was carrying, and raised a quizzical eyebrow before continuing, "Er… Is there someone named Kevin around here expecting a package?"

"I'm Kevin," the boy said, getting out of his seat.

"Oh, pardon me. This is Durian Delivery, at your service!" the man chortled. "I have a package for you." He held out the envelope, and when Kevin took it, he stated, "That will be eighteen dollars please."

Kevin took a step back. "I-I don't have eighteen dollars," he stuttered. "D-didn't my dad pay you up front or something like that?"

"I gave him the option, but he said you could afford it."

"B-but I don't have any money!" Kevin's shoulders dropped and his mouth hung open as he averted his gaze from the delivery man. Why would his dad do something like this?

He snapped and turned around to Ed, who was still sitting on the chair near them. "Do you have any money on you?"

"I spent it on the hotdogs," was his reply. "But I could get some with Double-D and E—" Ed choked. His eyes grew misty as they stared off into a trance, and his normally fidgety body grew still as ice. His gaze darted toward Kevin and the delivery man for a split second, and the former noticed him struggle to suppress a sob.

"Err, can I at least see what's inside the letter?" Kevin asked, knowing there was nothing he could do to reconcile Ed at the moment.

"I could bill your parents for it, though I was expecting to be paid upon delivery." The man waved his hand and added, "Ah, go ahead."

Thanking the man, Kevin tore open the envelope. Inside was a folded piece of paper. Tucking the remains of the letter under his arm, he lifted up the first fold of the paper, which read:

**_Dear Kevin,_**

**_Wherever you are, know that your mother and I love you. Over the past day, we talked and thought things over, and we realized that you may not be able to come home for a while. Forces beyond our control are keeping us from holding you back, so the best we can do is give you our love and support wherever you wind up. So we'd like to give you this:_**

Unfolding the paper more, he found a gleaming, golden card taped to it.

**_This ATM card is linked directly to my savings account. I trust that you won't spend too much on anything unnecessary, but you may use it to buy whatever you might need. Please use it wisely!_**

**_Love, Mom and Dad._**

Kevin's mouth gaped open wider than ever.

"Looks like you'll be able to afford it after all," the man said. He took out a portable ATM from his bag, and said, "Swipe it here."

The boy mindlessly complied, and with a cheery, "Thank you for choosing Durian Delivery!" the man exited the building and zipped off into the distance.

Kevin couldn't believe what he was holding in his hands. His father wasn't a stingy man, but he never gave his son more than he'd earned through allowance. And now Kevin had just received access to his family's entire savings. He read the letter again, and felt a warmth welling up inside of him.

"If you're done being spoiled rotten," came a sarcastic voice like a snowball to the face, "would you please leave and never come back?"

Kevin couldn't take it anymore. "Not until we see the mayor," the boy hissed, turning around to face the receptionist. "We're not leaving until then."

"You realize that I'm allowed to call security on children, do you?" the man threatened.

Kevin stormed up to the desk. It came up to his chest, but he stood eye-to-eye with the man sitting down on the other side of it. Ed cautiously stood behind him, and he narrowed his eyes as he said, "You don't have the guts."

Silence began to choke the room as the two stared each other down. Ed stood still behind Kevin, nearly shuttering when the man switched his glare to him and back. Any movement was a dare for the other to react.

"…NOW!" Kevin grabbed Ed's arm. He pulled the boy into a beeline towards a hallway to the left of the front desk. He could hear the receptionist's voice rapidly fade as it screamed for security to arrive. Doors blurred past them as they flew down the corridor, looking for something that might lead them to the mayor. Behind them they could soon hear the footsteps of men and women. The came shouts and commands for the two boys to stop.

In a stroke of luck, Kevin spotted an elevator with its doors open. A man walked out of it, his face buried behind a stack of papers. They flew past him and dashed into it, rapidly pressing the topmost button and praying that the doors would close in time. They did, and after a few bangs and shouts from the other side, the elevator jerked upward.

Kevin leaned up against the back wall of the elevator car and slid down it with a large sigh. Neither he nor Ed said anything. Instead, they both watched the dial above the door as it gradually rose to the fourth floor of the building. When the elevator stopped, the two stood before it and braced themselves.

The doors slid open, revealing a small squad of security guards standing before the two boys. Just behind them lay a short hallway, at the end of which stood a large pair of wooden doors.

"Step out of the elevator," one of the guards ordered. "Come on, we'll call your parents and have them pick—"

"PSI Shield!" Kevin felt a surge of energy blast out from his outstretched hand. In front of it formed an ethereal wall of glowing, blue shapes. Kevin charged forward, and the shield moved with him. It pushed the surprised guards out of the way, knocking them on their backs as the boys rushed past them. The boys darted to the double doors amongst a clamor of shouts and grunts. Kevin repositioned the shield behind him and Ed, forming a barricade that stopped the guards from following after them.

Wasting no time, the two opened the door and slipped in.


	16. Leader of Lemons

**Chapter 16**

* * *

"Who—w-what the?!"

Kevin and Ed slammed the door shut. Ed managed to lock it with trembling hands. Kevin slid his wrench between the handles just as a body charged into it from the other side.

"What in tarnation? Who are you two?"

It was then that Kevin registered the panicked man's voice crying out behind him. The boy turned around, instructing Ed to hold the door for him. Kevin looked ahead and found a man sitting at a desk on the other side of the room. He was a short, portly man, with jet black hair combed over his head. He wore a garish yellow suit, with wrinkles and faded spots making it look like something he got for a deal. His face was pudgy and his eyes were small. It looked like the kind of face that could belong to either a jolly man or to the villain in the kind of cheap movies that Ed liked.

The room itself reflected his attire; a small chandelier covered in poorly-hidden wires hung in the center of the ceiling, the walls were painted light yellow with outlines of lemons spread across them, and the city flag moped silently on its pole in the back corner. It was as if the room wanted to look professional without actually _being_ it, as if Eddy had designed the place himself for some sort of elaborate scam. A small spark of fear told Kevin that the mayor may not be as competent as he'd hoped.

The man himself sat at a large office desk littered with telephones, almost all of them ringing and the rest of them cluttered together in his gruff hands. A few nostalgic thoughts of the Ed Co. scam drifted through Kevin's head for a moment. He had no idea what that particular one was all about—he had ruined it just by showing up—but it was hard to forget all of those phones ringing at once. He shook the memories away and said, "We need your help, Mr. Mayor… Sir!"

"What do you want?!" the man spat, anger speckling the confusion and surprise in his voice. "Can't you see I'm busy right now? How did you get in here? Where is _security_?!"

A second blow at the door forced Ed to grunt. "Please, just hear us out!" Kevin pleaded. "My friend's sister's been kidnapped. The police won't help us, so we thought—"

"Of course the police won't help!" retorted the mayor. "They're too busy investigating and trying to stop this 'Blue Plague,' as people've started calling it, not to mention trying to deal with—" He cut himself off, and Kevin raised an eyebrow. The man's frown grew, and over the noise of the phones, he continued, "We don't have time to look for one girl, not when everyone and their grandma could just turn blue and start attacking everything in sight without warning! Everyone expects me to magically make it all go away, but I can't! It's madness!"

Kevin made to reply, but his voice was drowned out by the loudening cacophony of telephone bells and shouts from the other side of the door, as well as the banging on the door itself. The wood began to crack as it was repeatedly hit, adding a sickening, blaring _crunch_ to the noise.

"Good God!" the mayor shouted, clasping his hands over his ears. "I wish everything would just _freeze_ for a few minutes!"

"Okay!"

"No, Ed—"

"PK Freeze!"

A low, windy _boom_ rippled through the building. The sound slowly faded, not into the noise from before, but into stark, clean silence. The room had become coated in a thin layer of ice, including everything in it. The telephones stopped ringing as their components froze up. The sounds from outside had stopped, though temporarily. After a few seconds, however, muffled voices of confusion and surprise filled the room with a gentle ambiance. Ed, Kevin and the mayor himself had been left unscathed, the only things in the room untouched by the frost.

"Wh-what… on Earth?!" The mayor shuttered in the sudden cold. He looked at the two boys as if they had just peeled off their skin to reveal an alien underneath, and asked, "What… What _are_ you?"

"W-we're just kids," Kevin replied cautiously. He gulped, and spoke slowly as he tried to find the words to explain. "It's just… we got psychic powers, called PSI, and—"

"Oh lord," the mayor groaned, tilting his head back against his large, frozen chair and placing a hand on his forehead, "not _more_ of them!"

"…More of them?" The boys asked in unison.

The man sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Kevin took a step forward. "W-what do you—"

"Truckdresser," the man said flatly. "Truckdresser can use—Oh god, don't tell me you're one of hers!" He pressed back up against his chair. "I told her, dammit! I told her there was nothing left she'd want!"

"Woah, calm down, Mister Mayor, Sir," Kevin pleaded. "We don't have any idea who you're talking about." The man in front of him seemed to calm down a little, but his eyes still betrayed a look of apprehension. Feeling a mixture of curiosity and hope well inside him, Kevin asked, "…Did this Truckdresser guy kidnap anyone?"

"I don't know," the mayor said, his tone melting from fear to anger. "Nobody knows. Nobody even knows Truckdresser's _first name_, but we all know she can use that damned PSI whatsit she goes on about."

"Who is Truckdresser?" Kevin asked, and a beat later, added, "And wait, this dude's a _girl_?"

"She's almost as big a problem as the Blue Plague, that's what! She and her gang of beauty product-obsessed freaks marched into town a few days ago like they all owned the place. They looted beauty salons, barber shops, every single darn place that sells something that makes you look better in a mirror, they robbed!

"We tried to stop them, give us credit for that at least, but she single handedly took down our entire police squad with lightning she shot from her fingertips!" The man held up his hands and wiggled his fingers in front of him. Kevin could hear Ed restraining a giggle beside him. "Her cronies have similar powers—they're obviously not as strong as Truckdresser herself, but our cops are just as powerless against them. Recently they've been quiet since all the stores've run outta stuff to steal, but if they wanted to steal some guy's little sister, they sure as hell could!"

The man took a deep breath and started to huff it all out in a sigh until it was interrupted by a shiver.

"Wh-who are you two boys, anyway?"

"I'm Kevin," the boy said, "and my friend here is Ed."

"And you both can use this wacky PSI stuff like Truckdresser?"

"Yeah, I guess," Kevin replied. "We just want to find Ed's sister, Sarah. Do you know where this Truckdresser girl is? I bet that we can take her down." He heard more sounds from behind the door, and added, "If you could please not throw us in jail or anything for breaking in here, that is."

A sudden thump boomed quietly from the other side of the door, followed by a few muffled "Woah!"s, some lighter thumps, and then some groans of pain. The mayor uttered a short gasp himself as he tried to stand up on the icy, slippery floor. Holding onto his desk for support, he circumnavigated it until he was in front of the two boys again.

"If you two help take down Truckdresser—who I'm now starting to think is responsible for the Blue Plague," he announced, "then I'll forgive you for breaking in here and turning my office into an ice rink."

Ed held up his pointer finger and a small flame flickered an inch above it. "I can help fix—"

"No!" Kevin and the mayor both shouted.

"Err, Ed, I think you've done enough," Kevin said.

"And I should be thanking you already," the mayor added. "You got rid of all that racket and I have an excuse for it!"

"Well, could you call off the guards?" Kevin asked after another soft _thump_ rang from the door, followed by more exclamations and then groans of pain. "Before they start hurting themselves?"

"Get that door open or they'll think you're holding me hostage," the mayor said. "Which you kinda are, you know."

"Sorry about—_ung!_ that," Kevin said, kicking at the ice covering the door's handles until he could free his wrench. "Ed's still getting the hang of his powers."

With a few whacks from his weapon, the ice on the door chipped away and the boy managed to turn the lock. One final charge from the other side caused the doors to burst open in a symphony of shattering ice. A swarm of guards flooded the room, almost every one of them pointing a gun at the two boys while trying to keep themselves from slipping.

"It's okay, boys," the mayor said in a formal voice, his face bearing a calm but strained smile, "there's been a misunderstanding here. These boys are gonna help us take down Truckdresser once and for all!"

The guards murmured questioningly to each other as they lowered their weapons. Kevin looked around and saw that some of them had banged and bruised faces; probably the poor suckers who had to take down the door, he figured. He wished he could heal them with Lifeup, but he had used the last of his PSI already. That reminded him…

"Do you think—Could we stay at a hotel or something for the night, though?" he asked. "I can use PSI like Ed, but I'm all out of it. Well I mean, we need to rest a little for it to… recharge, or something like that, and it's getting late."

The man's face sank back down into an angry grimace. "Do I look like Santa Clause to you?" he spat. "I'm letting you off the hook for storming my office and then turning it into an ice pop! I'm not gonna throw in the six night package with a continental breakfast!"

Kevin flinched at the sudden change in mood. "Okay, then. Do you have any information on Truckdresser we could use?"

"Sorry kid, that's all classified."

Kevin's jaw dropped. "Wha—but you just said you wanted us to help you!"

"True," the man replied, "But you're just kids. It wouldn't look very good if _children_ did a mayor's job, now would it?"

"It's not the mayor's job to find criminals!"

"No, but _I_ get to say whether they're worth wasting time and money for!"

"But you're not giving us _anything_!"

Ed and the guards turned their heads back and forth between Kevin and the mayor, who began standing on his chair and leaning over his desk.

"That's because if I gave you anything related to Truckdresser then it would leave behind evidence! What if the press found out?"

"What _if_ the press found out?"

"Then I probably wouldn't get reelected! You don't want that to happen by doing me a favor!"

"But I'm not doing it for _you_!" Kevin shouted, "I'm doing it for Ed. We don't even know if this chick even _has_ Sarah with her or not! And if she doesn't, then it's not our problem!"

"Oh," the man seethed. "Well, in that case…"

**~αα~**

"And stay out!"

With a loud "Oof!" Kevin and Ed slammed into the pavement outside the City Hall, just as the mayor and his bodyguards stormed back inside.


	17. Phone Calls

**Chapter 17**

* * *

"Fine! Throw us out! But if this Truckdresser chick doesn't have Sarah than we're not doing squat about her!"

Kevin seethed and growled to himself as he brushed bits of leaves and litter from his clothes. Ed wasn't as fazed from getting thrown out of the building, and he worriedly asked as he picked himself off the ground, "What do we do now?"

"We get some rest first of all," Kevin said, forcing his anger back a little, "It's getting late, I'm out of PSI and there's no telling what kind of creeps'll be out there at night. Tomorrow, we go to a beauty salon. If what the mayor said is tr—"

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed two boys at the bike rack tugging furiously at Ed's jacket, flabbergasted at how they couldn't undo the simple knot holding it and the bike together in its iron grip.

"HEY!"

Kevin charged at them with his wrench held high above his head, his face red with anger that he gladly let show. The two boys yelped in fear and darted away before he could make it up the steps to the rack. When they were out of sight, Kevin slipped his wrench back into his pocket and sighed in satisfaction. Ed hurriedly stepped past him and tugged gently on the knot. In a single motion, he pulled on the jacket, causing the arms to unravel, and swung it around to put it back on in one fluid motion.

"It's kinda cold," he said simply.

Kevin couldn't help but smile.

"Come on Ed, let's find a hotel or something. There's no way your dad's gonna let me sleep over."

Down three blocks and to the left four more, with two attackers that were quickly dispatched along the way, and Ed spotted a small motel nestled between two larger buildings. It was old and worn both inside and out, but it was cheap for a night's stay. Kevin didn't want to blow all of his father's money on luxury just because he could. As the man at the front desk handed Ed the key to their room, Kevin walked over to the phone on the wall nearby. On Kevin's request, Ed went on ahead up the stairs as he dialed.

_"Hello?"_

"Hey, Dad."

_"Hey! Did you get my gift alright?"_

"Yeah, thanks!"

_"You've been gone for a while, and I know that we couldn't bring you back home if we tried, so the least I can do is help you afford whatever you need."_

"Yea, I'm really sorry I got myself mixed up in all of this." Kevin sighed a little, wondering if he was repeating himself or not. He looked at the front door, making sure to keep the man at the front desk partly in his vision. Aside from the occasional glance, this receptionist didn't seem suspicious.

_"Don't be. You're helping a friend in need, and not only that but this _thing,_ whatever it is that's making everything try and attack you at random, is running rampant and you have the power to stop it."_ The man's voice was warm and encouraging. _"I honestly would be surprised it something _didn't_ happen to us by now."_

"Heh, I guess that's true. Well, I'm at a motel right now, and me and Ed are gonna spend the night. Tell Mom I said 'hi'."

Just as Kevin pulled the phone away from his ear, he heard, _"Wait, before you go, can I ask you a favor?"_

"Uh, sure, shoot."

_"Well, out of curiosity and the feeling in the back of my mind that this could become useful sometime later, I was wondering if you could tell me your whole story up until now."_

Even though he knew his father wasn't there to see it, Kevin raised a quizzical eyebrow. "M-my story?"

_"Yeah. You didn't tell anyone about your psychic powers until that crow showed up and stole the journal, and your mother and I still don't have aren't clear on what exactly you've been through since this all began. You think you could tell me what happened? Where you first found out about or powers or when these weird things started happening, from the beginning?"_

Kevin paused for a moment, gripping the cord to the phone as he leaned up against the wall. "Okay, sure."

The last of the golden sunlight sifting through the dusty front window of the motel gently faded from Kevin's shirt as he talked. He started with his encounter with the alien, then moved to his trek through the burning forest, and then to the fight with the giant alien that ultimately led to Eddy's death, his father listening intently all the way—at least, Kevin figured he was. With each word, Kevin felt a little better. Better about what, exactly, he didn't know, but the feeling was real, and it was nice.

As he reached the point of his hitchhike to Lemon Brook, he realized that nobody else but he knew exactly what happened over the past few days. Even with Ed nearby, he had felt an odd sense of loneliness since he left his parents, but that feeling grew lighter and lighter as he talked. It was nice, knowing that someone else knew all of the things he had to go through. In an offhand thought, he wondered if Ed felt that loneliness right now.

Eventually, the boy finished describing the rude manner that he and Ed were "escorted" out of the City Hall and ended with, "And then we walked here and I called you."

_"Wow,"_ Kevin's father said, astonished, _"I had no idea you went through so much."_

"Yea, well, I don't think that's all I'm gonna go through."

_"Whatever happens, don't forget that you can tell me about it if you want,"_ the man said. _"They say that talking to people you trust is good for your health somehow. If you keep everything bottled up for too long, then something bad could happen, like going too long without saving on one of your video games or something like that. But just telling these things to someone is good, even if it isn't a person."_

"What do you mean 'isn't a person'?"

_"Well, I heard that they're experimenting to see if talking to animals will get the same effects. So far, it only works with frogs for some reason."_

With a small chuckle and a wish for a good night's rest from his father, he gently hung up the phone and sighed. The man at the front desk uttered a sarcastic "finally" under his breath, but Kevin felt too relieved to care as he climbed the stairs.

Down the dimly lit hall five doors and through the sixth one on the right, and Kevin found himself in a small room with no windows. Two old, wooden beds were tucked in each far corner, one of which was occupied by Ed. He immediately sat up and beamed a big smile.

"This'll be just like a sleepover!" he said, bobbing up and down in excitement. The mattress and old wooden frame of the bed creaked and groaned loudly in protest, making Kevin wince.

"Don't get too excited there," he warned, "we have to get to sleep right away. And stop bouncing!"

Ed begrudgingly complied, though his smile didn't vanish entirely. He plopped down and quickly threw the covers over his head, as if it would help him get to sleep faster. Kevin reluctantly eased himself into his dusty and dirty bed, wondering this was what Edd saw in everything in his obsessive-compulsive, germaphobic world.

Once he was comfortable—at least, as comfortable as he could get—he said, "Hey Ed, can I ask you something?"

"Yes—err—yeah," Ed replied.

"What happened when you moved out of Peach Creek?"

After a pause, the boy answered, "Not much. We drove here, and I saw lots of cows and sunflowers and even the Gag Factory in the car. We moved in, but it didn't take a long time because I couldn't bring everything with me that I wanted like my sponge collection and my comfy chair, and then I went to bed and in the morning Sarah was gone.

"I… I didn't know what to do. I got really scared and tried looking for her and told Mom and Dad. They got really angry and sent me to my room for no reason."

Kevin felt odd hearing the boy speak in so many complete sentences at once, and he realized how much of a rarity it was by the stutter he carried. "How did you contact me?" Kevin asked. "I mean, how did you talk to me in my sleep?"

A shift in Ed's covers told Kevin that he was shrugging, and the boy replied, "I dunno. I was really sad and I knew I needed help but Double-D and Eddy weren't there so I didn't know what to do. But then I felt something, like you were nearby and you weren't angry or going to pound me into the ground like you used to. I asked who was there and I heard your voice and—"

"Alright, I get it," Kevin interrupted. "I was just wondering. I talked to my dad about what happened and I feel a lot better, so I wondered if you wanted to tell me what happened to you."

"Oh," Ed said. "I do feel kinda better, but my heart still kinda hurts."

"Mine does too," Kevin said, the image of Eddy flashing through his mind for a moment. "Do you want to know what happened to me when all of this… happened?"

"Uh, okay."

And Kevin told his story again.

**~αα~**

"Who are you, what do you want? As you can plainly see, we don't have anything here."

The thin man standing at the counter was right by all means. Every single shelf, table, desk, or otherwise in the beauty shop was completely devoid of any kind of product. The only hints that there was anything to be sold in the store once upon a time were the rings and ovals of dust and soap scum dotted on all the shelves, marking the places of beauty products that were poorly kept and rarely sold.

Kevin wasn't surprised at the shoddiness of the place; it seemed like everything in Lemon Brook was cheap and uncared for. He wondered if it had always been this way or if it became like this because of the mayor.

"We need to find some psycho chick named Truckdresser," he stated.

The thin man recoiled as if the boy had shoved a cobra in his face. About a half second into his spasm, however, he stopped. His eyes popped open, and quickly righted himself and put on a forced expression of confusion. "I—W-who is th-this 'Truckdresser' person?"

Kevin was not amused. "Spill it," he demanded, slamming his fist down on the counter, "where is Truckdresser?"

"I-I-I have no idea who you're talking about!" the man sputtered, raising his trembling hands in front of him.

"Look, I'm not going to hurt you or anything," Kevin said, "if you just tell me where this chick is!"

The fear seemed to drain from the man's body as he recovered from his wince. Putting on a face of snide confidence, the man smiled and asked, "Oh, you think you can hurt me?"

"I don't think, I know," Kevin spat, reaching into his pocket for his wrench.

"Oh, are you going to call your mommy and cry to her?" the man teased, pretending to rub his eye with his fist. "Or maybe you'll get your big brother to come and teach me a lesson?"

"Listen pal, you've got five seconds to shut up and tell me where this girl is before I pound your face in!"

"If I shut up, how can I tell you anything?"

Kevin growled, ready to beat the man into next century.

Ed sighed, waiting next to the door just as Kevin told him to. This was the fourth store they'd been to. Well, he thought it was the fourth store. He was never good at counting. Edd was good at counting. Edd was always there to count for him, and do math and figure things out. But Edd wasn't there this time. He needed to find Sarah. The store guy wasn't going to tell them anything. None of them did. They were more afraid of Truckdresser than they were of Kevin. Kevin had instructed Ed to wait by the door while he tried to find Sarah, but he wasn't getting anywhere.

So Ed decided to act.

The store counter was close to the door, but it faced to the right. Ed could see the man behind it and all of the little shelves and cupboards under it, which were empty like the rest of the store. However, a hint of yellow behind one of the shelves caught the boy's attention.

Crouching down and walking softly, Ed managed to creep behind the counter and get right next to the clerk, who was still in the middle of insulting Kevin. In one of the shelves just in front of the man's leg, something yellow stuck out of the side just a crack. Ed tried to hold in a small burst of happiness as he realized it was a sticky note.

Carefully, the boy reached past the man's legs and grabbed it. Just as he was pulling his arm back, however, he heard a loud sniffing noise.

"Ugg, what on earth is that smell?"

Time to go, Ed thought. Still crouched down, he darted to the door, but he was too late.

"Ack! What are you doing?!" the clerk screamed. Ed said nothing as he bolted up from his crouch, grabbed Kevin by the arm and flew out of the store.

"Ed! What are you doing? I almost got him to spill!" Kevin cried as the boy ran down the street. The boy had managed to grab onto his bike as they passed it, and it dangled helplessly from his grip as Ed pulled Kevin along. When the beauty salon was out of sight, Ed slowed from his sprint and released his grip on Kevin, letting the boy and his bike plop to the ground.

"S-sorry," Ed panted. He shifted his right hand, which was curled up in a fist. The feeling of crumpled paper rubbing against it told him he still had the note, and he smiled.

"Well, that guy was getting on my nerves anyway," Kevin sighed as he picked himself off the ground. "I guess I should thank you for getting me out of there before I murdered him or something." After taking a moment to look around, he noticed a perfume shop across an intersection. "Let's see if anyone there knows anything."

"Uh, Kevin, I—"

"I'm sure they have a bathroom there," he interrupted. "Now let's go!"

The boy ran ahead before Ed could say anything else. Ed followed behind, and took the time to straighten out the crumpled note. The only thing on it was a quickly scribbled phone number.

When the boys reached the perfume shop, Kevin instructed Ed to wait outside.

"Don't come in unless something happens," he said, "like if I'm about to kill the clerk or someone is about to kill me, okay?"

"Okay," Ed agreed. He looked through the glass window as the boy entered the shop and went up to the clerk. Ed sighed as he saw the exact same scene from the previous store happen again.

The boy looked at the sticky note. It was the only thing left inside the store, and the clerk clearly didn't want him to take it. A dull gleam caught Ed's attention, and he turned to see a metal payphone next to the store.

With another look at the note, the boy walked to the phone and pulled out a quarter. He put it up to the slot, but stopped. This quarter came from his allowance, which his parents had given him for the first time after they moved. It was more than he or Edd or Eddy had ever gotten through their scams. It made him feel strange and sour. Edd probably had a word for it.

With a breath, Ed put the quarter in the slot and heard a buzz through the phone's speaker. Ed held out the note and carefully punched in the numbers written on it. He gulped as he heard the tone of a phone ringing, once, twice, then three times. Just as it approached its fourth ring, he heard a click.

_"What do you want?"_ came a young girl's voice. _"I told you not to call me unless you got more makeup in stock, and I know they don't deliver stuff on weekends!"_

"Uh, hello," Ed replied. "Who are you?"

_"Ah—Who—D-Do you not know who I am?!"_

"Yes. Err, no. Who are you?"

_"You may call me Ms. Truckdresser, you ugly worm!"_

"My name is Ed!" After a beat, the boy perked and said, "Wait, you're Truckdresser?"

_"Yes! How did you get this number?"_

"W-where is Sarah?!" he asked, trying to sound intimidating.

_"Who?"_

"Sarah! She's short and has orange hair and is mean and angry but she's sweet and nice around Jimmy and—"

_"Oh, you mean that girl we took? Man, she _bites_, literally! I had to go through, like, three men just to get her knocked out!"_

"You have Sarah? Give her back!" Ed demanded.

_"You want her back?"_ the girl teased, _"Well, why don't you come on up here and take her then?"_

"Fine!" Ed shouted. Without another word, he slammed the phone on the receiver. After a brief pause, however, he gasped, suddenly put in another quarter and redialed the number.

_"What do you want?_ came the girl's voice again.

"Uh, where are you?" Ed asked, blushing as his anger turned to embarrassment.

_"Not you again!"_ she whined. _"Okay, look. I don't know or care if you have a death wish or something, but if it'll get you to shut up then I'll tell you where I am. But don't even think about trying to bring the police or something, because I can take them all down with my hands tied behind my back!"_

"I won't," Ed promised.

_"Good. Now, at the eastern edge of town there's a forest. A ways into it you should find a big cliff, and my hideout is along there. Come on and get me, I dare you! I haven't had anything to shoot my lightning at for a while now, and I love me some good target practice!"_

This time, Truckdresser hung up before Ed did.

The boy hung up the phone and peered into the window the store. Sure enough, Kevin was arguing with the clerk, and both of them looked ready to kill each other.

"Oh yeah?! Well I bet _your_ mother—" Ed yanked the boy out of the store before he could finish.

"What's the big idea? I wasn't finished!" Kevin protested.

"That's okay," Ed stated, an unusual air of seriousness in his voice. "I know where Truckdresser is, and she has Sarah."


	18. Of Makeup and Mine Shafts

**Chapter 18**

* * *

"Wow, this chick is pretty confident, isn't she?"

Ed grunted softly in agreement as he and Kevin stood before a small cliff near the outskirts of Lemon Brook. A tunnel was bored into the cliff's side, and next to it was a small, old billboard. Chunks of its sides were missing and the advertisement was faded and peeling off. What wasn't too torn or dirty to see clearly was slathered in red, sloppy letters that spelled:

**Truckdresser's secrit hidout! Enter if you dare!**

"I'm starting to have doubts whether the Mayor was exaggerating about her or something," Kevin remarked as the two made their way into the cavern. Old wooden beams and structures supported the roof of the cave, and filthy yet working lights hung from them throughout the winding tunnel. An old set of rails on the ground convinced the boy that they were in some sort of abandoned mine.

The clicking of Kevin's bike echoed through the cavern as he walked it along the ground, not wanting to leave it outside with nothing to secure it to. The place itself was cool anyway, and he figured that Ed would be reluctant to part with his jacket again. After a minute of walking, he grew uncomfortable with the relative silence. He continued, "I mean, she can't even spell right!"

Ed suddenly stopped in his tracks. His face tensed and he held a hand up to his forehead as beads of sweat began to form on it.

"Ed? You getting one of those fevers or something?"

"N-no," Ed replied. "Sarah. She's… she's here… I can feel her, I think." His head snapped up, and he gazed further down the tunnel. "I think… S-Sarah!"

The boy dashed ahead of Kevin, calling Sarah's name. Kevin followed suit on his bike, calling after Ed to slow down to no avail. Ed rounded a corner, and Kevin heard a gasp. Before he could reach the corner himself, he saw the oaf fly back into view and slam into the wall.

"Are you okay?" Kevin leapt toward Ed and knelt down beside him.

As Ed replied with a "Y-yeah", he craned his head to look down the cavern and gasped. "Duck!"

"Du—" Kevin understood before he could finish the question and dropped to the ground next to Ed right as something slammed into the wall behind them. He felt a tingle zip up his arm as something wet landed on it, and he alarmingly attempted to shake it off before he even knew what it was. Ed quickly sprang to his feet and pulled Kevin out of the way before another projectile rocketed past them.

When he finally got a hold of his senses, Kevin looked at his arm to see a pale, tan smudge on it. On the wall where the two projectiles hit was a large glob of similarly-colored liquid dripping down the rock. Before the boy could peer around the corner to see who the attacker was, it appeared in front of him.

What appeared to be a little man covered in all sorts of makeup stepped into view, making Kevin shutter. His face was pale and he had a sickening amount of purple eyeshadow and mascara around his eyes and lashes, as well as deep red lipstick framing his ear-to-ear grin. His clothes were those of a little girl's, colored a garish shade of pink, and he wore shoes that curled up into spirals at the tips. In one hand he held a makeup brush and in the other was a small palette.

"Tee hee hee, whaddawe got here?" the thing said in a squeaky, high-pitched voice.

"Step aside, Shorty! We're here to take down Truckdresser!" Kevin spat.

The imp-like man tilted his head around at a disturbing angle, never losing his grin. "Oh no no no! You two are _much_too _ugly_ to see the beautiful Miss Truckdresser!"

"Why you little freak!" Kevin charged at the small man with his wrench held high in the air. The imp straightened his head and dipped his brush into the palette. Ed noticed the brush went deep into the makeup, deeper than it should be able to go. When the man pulled the brush out, it was covered in a dripping glob of wet makeup.

Kevin charged as fast as he could. Before he could reach his target, the man slashed his brush forward. The makeup to rocketed off of it and expanded into an enormous glob. Kevin swung at it with his wrench to no avail; the goop engulfed the weapon and knocked the boy off of his feet before splatting on the pair of tracks near Ed.

"Aw, did I make you lose your dirty wrench? I'm so sowwy," the thing teased as it prepared another attack.

"Oh, I forgive you," Kevin said calmly, "but my _fists_ don't!"

He sprinted toward the little man as the thing raised his brush back out of the palette and threw a second glob of makeup.

"PSI Shield!"

The skin-colored paste plastered the space in front of Kevin. It barely made him flinch. The stuff easily slid off of the surface of the shield. The man gasped and frantically tried to prepare another attack, but Kevin swung his arm as hard as he could and his fist slammed into the thing's face.

A wave of surprise and disgust washed over the boy. He felt and saw his arm begin to bore into the man's face, coming out the other side completely. He quickly withdrew it in shock. He stared at his hand, but found no blood. Instead, he saw more liquid foundation. He looked up toward the man—toward the _thing_. Its head had a flesh-colored hole bored through it. With a moan that bubbled into a gargle, the little imp began to melt. Kevin and Ed stepped back as the thing rapidly lost shape, forming a small puddle of makeup on the ground.

Ed's face lit up, and he jovially shouted, "The Little Makeup Man was defeated!" He took off around the corner and down the corridor, laughing, while Kevin still stood over the puddle with his mouth hanging open. He looked at his hand, and shook the goop off of it.

"Ed!" he shouted. He mounted his bike and rode after the boy. "Ed! That guy wasn't human!"

"I know! They're Little Makeup Men!" Ed replied as Kevin caught up to him.

"Do you know what that means though?"

"No, what?"

Kevin smiled mischievously, and said, "It means we don't have to hold back!"

The cavern began to widen and grow taller as the two ran and rode through it. They passed by a myriad of construction equipment and tools that didn't seem like they'd help dig into the earth. The cave walls around them grew smoother and less rocky, and the supports suddenly changed from wooden beams to decorated stone pillars. Suddenly, the tracks ended and the floor ahead of them turned from stone to polished white tile.

"Are they seriously trying to renovate a _mine shaft?_" Kevin asked. He felt the bumps of rocks under him disappear as he rode across the smooth floor. The walls became more uniform and square as they went on, but the paint on them looked like it was hastily applied. "Whoever did this certainly didn't do a very good—"

"Get them!"

Kevin's bike screeched to a halt and Ed fell flat on his face in an attempt to stop when they saw dozens of Little Makeup Men drop from the ceiling around them. They landed on the floor by the dozens and surrounded the two boys, each of them with their brushes halfway in their palettes. Each of them smiling a horrid, red grin.

"Remember what I said," Kevin whispered to Ed when he got to his feet, "don't hold—"

"Give her back," Ed uttered. He tightened his fists, and clenched his eyes shut.

They snapped open, and Ed roared, "GIVE ME BACK MY BABY SISTER! PK FIRE!"

Kevin fell over as he felt a blast of heat hit him. A narrow but long geyser of flame spouted from Ed's outstretched hand, setting a whole row of Makeup Men on fire. The ones next to them quickly drew their brushes and flung globs of liquid foundation at the boy. He redirected his attack and the fire blasted the projectiles away.

Kevin quickly got back on his feet and reached into his pocket, only to feel no wrench there. "Crap, I forgot it!" he shouted right as he dodged a softball-sized glob heading straight for him. "Looks like I'll have to do this the easy way."

The boy quickly gathered his thoughts and exhaled. Time crept to a halt as he tapped into the energy he was still so unfamiliar with and drew it out. Only a fraction of the power bent to his will, but the boy knew it was enough. He let the energy flow through his entire body, filling every nook and cranny in an instant, and it swelled and rapidly grew more intense. When the moment passed and time began to tick again, he released the energy all at once.

"PK Riding!"

A wave of multicolored lightning sprang forth from the boy in all directions. He quickly turned around gasped as he saw it about to hit Ed. _He's a friend,_ Kevin thought, as if trying to talk to the energy. _I don't want to hurt my friends._ As if it understood, the wave passed harmlessly around the green-clad boy and continued on.

The attack slammed into almost all of the Makeup Men at once. The ones closest to the boys were immediately decimated, bursting into puddles of foundation while the ones furthest were pushed back and injured.

"PK Freeze!"

Ed dashed around the room, his geyser of flame now turned to one of ice that froze everything on contact. However, he slipped a little on the puddles on the ground, and one of the Men managed to hit him with a projectile. It blasted the boy across the room, but Kevin quickly arrived and used Lifeup on him.

"I have an idea," he said as he helped Ed to his feet. "Shield your eyes." The boy complied, clapping a hand over his face. Kevin stood his ground as the remaining Makeup Men gathered close to get a good shot with their weapons.

"PK Flash!"

For an instant, the room was filled with a blinding light. A moment later, the Makeup Men all began to wince and rub their eyes.

"Now, Ed!" Kevin shouted. Ed opened his eyes and ran towards his vulnerable opponents. Deciding not to use PSI, the boy simply slammed his fists or his head into each enemy, taking them out one-by-one. Kevin managed to defeat some of his own by running them over with his bike, though he wasn't as fast or powerful as his ally.

At last, the last opponent burst into a pile of liquid makeup, and the cavern became silent but gooey. Ed and Kevin panted, out of breath, but they savored their victory. The goop around them began to evaporate off of the walls and floor, just like the smoke around the aliens and Spiteful Crows when they were defeated.

A slow clap echoed through the chamber, and Kevin and Ed looked up. They turned to see a dark figure clapping as it slithered toward them. It came into the light, which revealed it to be a little girl. She wore a small but elaborate purple dress, and had long, black hair that hung down to her ankles. Her face was slathered in makeup, with her lips colored a deep red and her eyes blackened with eyeshadow. She smiled at the two boys with a smug expression.

"Well, that's a first," she purred, "You two will be fun to play with."

"Who are you?" Kevin asked.

"Who do you think?" the girl snapped. "I'm Laura Truckdresser, and you two are my new playthings!"


	19. A Lightning Flash of Memory

**Chapter 19**

* * *

"_You're_ Truckdresser?" Kevin stood at the girl before him. Her head barely came to his chest. "You're like, seven!"

"How dare you!" Truckdresser snapped, clenching her fists. "I'm _eight,_ thank you very much!"

Ed took a step forward toward her. He didn't care that she was eight. He didn't care that she was a girl. She was the one who took Sarah. He was sure about it. He had never felt so sure about anything in his life.

"Give her back," he demanded quietly. "Give me back my baby sister."

"Sorry, but I can't do that," the girl teased. "Besides, she's soooo _ugly_. I'm doing everyone a favor by keeping her locked away."

Ed leaned forward, clenching his own hands into fists. A sickening feeling burned through him. He wanted to hurt that girl, the girl who took Sarah away from him. He wanted to see her in pain, to see her writhe and squirm under the same pain he felt from her words. The boy felt his face grow hot as his mind began to buzz and think and churn thoughts around faster than he had ever bothered to notice before. He felt the torrent of rage flow through—

Rage?

Ed gasped and took back his step, the feeling having suddenly vanished in a cloud of fear. What was he thinking? Those feelings had nearly taken over him, those feelings of anger. He hated them and the way they made him do things he would never do normally. They make everyone do that, those terrible feelings. He did not want to hurt a little girl; why would he even think of that?

But, Sarah…

The image of his sister flashed through his mind. Another feeling, opposite to anger in that it was cold and biting, washed through him. This sensation was more familiar to Ed, the feeling of confusion and sadness. He hated them also, but they were a less evil replacement for the previous ones. Why would Truckdresser take Sarah? Why would she lock her away? How could she do such a thing? He felt his face begin to sweat and his thoughts began to blur again.

Why? Why? Wh—

"Why did you kidnap Sarah?"

Ed broke from his trance, though his face was still hot and his mind still racing, and looked at Kevin. The boy didn't have his wrench anymore, but he held up his fists and gave a serious scowl. There was a palpable air to him that gave a silent and invisible warning.

"Heck, I dunno," Truckdresser replied, jerking her head to shake her hair a little straighter.

Kevin and Ed both stared at her, jaws dropped.

"I was told to, okay?" the girl sighed in frustration. "The guy who gave me my powers told me I could keep them if I held onto her for him, and I was happy to oblide."

"First, it's 'oblige'," Kevin spat, "and second, you're going down if you don't release her this freaking second! I don't care if we have to fight this 'guy' ourselves—heck, we'll beat him up as soon as we're done with you!"

"Hah!" The girl pointed wildly at Kevin, and said, "You're pretty confident for a guy who's sweating all over."

Ed turned and saw that Kevin's face was covered in droplets of sweat. Kevin turned toward Ed with a slight smirk and a quick nod. Through the cyclone of thoughts storming through his mind, Ed understood, and he wiped off some of his own sweat and nodded back.

"Ew, by the way," Truckdresser added. "Now, are you just gonna sit there stinking up the place or are you two gonna play with me?" She leaned forward, smiling confidently, and held out two fingers on each hand. The boys uttered a short gasp as sparks began to crackle and buzz from her hands. She moved her arms and the sparks turned into streaks of bright blue and yellow lightning. The electrical crackling grew louder as she moved faster and faster.

Kevin took a step back, holding one arm in front of him. With a quiet "PSI Shield", he summoned two translucent barriers in front of him and Ed.

"On my signal," the hatted boy whispered.

Lightning screeched and crackled around Truckdresser as she waved her hands around, creating more electricity in their wake. An odd breeze of familiarity tingled in Ed's mind for a brief moment, but it quickly vanished in the sea of churning thoughts and emotions.

The girl raised both hands above her head, pointing with her middle and index fingers at the ceiling as the electricity grew to a maximum around her. She then brought her hands down to point at the boys. Kevin dashed forward.

"Alright Ed, NOW—"

The boy was interrupted by his own screams. The lightning struck him, phasing right through the shield as if it wasn't even there. Ed watched in horror as Kevin flew backwards and slammed into the ground. His body jerked around in violent spasms as the lightning slowly dissipated.

"Kevin!" Ed shouted, dashing toward the boy.

"Oh no you don't!" Truckdresser fired another blast of lightning straight at Ed. In what was more of a reaction than a conscious decision, the boy summoned his energy and created a small wall of ice between him and the girl as he reached Kevin. The lightning struck the wall, swarming violently around it. A small bolt jumped from it and zapped the Ed's hand, but he quickly pulled away before more could follow.

"Kevin! Are you okay?" Ed asked, ignoring the sudden burning in his hand and kneeling over the wounded boy. Kevin groaned, but he didn't open his eyes. His body twitched and shuttered, a few arcs of electricity still sparking around it before they disappeared. Ed, breathing quickly and forcing back tears, held his hands over him.

"PSI Lifeup!"

Nothing happened.

"PSI Lifeup! Lifeup! Lifeup!"

Through misty eyes he could see burn marks all around the boy's body, and no matter how many times he shouted "Lifeup", the energy in his head would not cooperate with the boy's desire to make them go away.

The screeching of lightning grew to deafening levels as he heard Truckdresser's voice shout something he could not make out over the noise. The electricity suddenly grew much more intense around the wall of ice and it managed to arc over to Ed's body. In a fit of panic, he jumped to the side, but only ended up going past the wall and straight into the girl's line of fire. She aimed all of the attack at him. The lightning hit Ed straight on.

Ed's world went dark.

_"Zappity zap zap!"_

_"That's static electricity, Ed! Did you know that this treasure trove of accessible energy lies right beneath our feet? You see, by shuffling along the carpet, you absorb eager electrons rapidly looking for a direct escape!"_

_PK Thunder is a special element… at allows the user to crea… ctricity. It is spec… ierce through psychic shie… ock all PSI-based attacks. There is no known way to cou… ough some have cla… who can utili… struck by lightning themselves, there is a small chance… redirect it bef… tical damage._

Time slowed to a halt as Ed took the thoughts storming throughout his mind and forced them to stop. He knew this feeling, this feeling of energy coursing through his body quickly and wildly. Ignoring the intense pain, he could feel where it was going, the path it was taking inside him, through all the places where it hurt. With an almost unconscious adjustment of his PSI, he shifted that path ever so slightly, away from his inside and around his outside. In that instant, both energies began to resonate. It no longer hurt.

As time regained its flow, the lightning spiraled around Ed's arms and body in perfect harmony with his will.

"Give Sarah back," he uttered through the crackling of electricity.

Truckdresser took a confused step back, and Ed could make out a "H-huh?" through the noise.

"I said, GIVE SARAH BACK!" The boy took a step forward, causing his arms to fail behind him just before he thrust them forward with all his might. The electricity arced from his outstretched hands and hit the girl directly.

The sound of her screaming pierced Ed's ears as lightning enveloped the girl, blazing bright shades of blue and purple as it zipped through her. Suddenly, something washed over the boy's mind like a tidal wave, causing his vision to blur and his hearing to fade.

_"Aw look, the widdle girlie's trying to make herself look pweddy with makeup!"_

_"Just leave me alone!"_

_"Aw, is the Ugly Duckling gonna cry?"_

_"Don't get too close, or maybe you'll catch it!"_

_"Please, just leave me alone!"_

_Ed tried to force himself back to consciousness, but the sudden burst of memories was too strong as they jammed themselves into his head._

_"Why? Why me?"_

_"Hello there."_

_"Wha—How did you get into my room? Who are you?"_

_"You can get back at them."_

_"W-who?… Those boys?"_

_"Everyone. I can let you do whatever you want."_

_"R-really Wha-what do you m—?"_

_"You have to do something for me, though."_

The strength of the memories faded enough for Ed to regain control. As he came back to reality, a sudden wave of fear and disgust washed over him. He felt the electricity burn Truckdresser's skin. He felt it tear through her body, horribly, painfully. In a panic, he forced the attack to stop. The lightning coming from his body disappeared instantly. Truckdresser fell to the ground, a few sparks and jolts sizzling around her body before they disappeared. Like Kevin, she twitched violently in short spasms before eventually the sparks died off. She stopped moving after that.

Ed stood between the two unconscious children, injured, dumbstruck and horrified. He dropped to his knees. He didn't know what to do. He never knew what to do.

**~αα~**

_PSI Magnet is a curious technique. It allows its user to draw psionic energy from other living things and add it to their own, though it costs some of the same energy to use it in the first place. It almost always rewards the user with more PSI than they expend. It is ideal against foes who can use PSI themselves, as it can drain them of energy and hamper their ability to use techniques._

Kevin's fever disappeared in an instant as he reluctantly came to. His burns stung fiercely, and he felt his muscles tense in little spasms. He managed to summon up enough willpower and PSI energy to heal himself. It wasn't enough to heal him completely. He cast the technique again but he still couldn't make all of the pain go away, and he felt his energy running out.

With a sigh, the boy rolled onto his stomach and struggled to get to his feet.

"K-Kevin!"

He turned to see Ed hobble over to him. The boy was covered in burns of his own, though they were much lighter than Kevin's.

"Where's… Where's Truckdresser?" Kevin panted, looking around.

"O-over here," Ed replied. He hastily made his way across the room despite his injuries, but Kevin followed sluggishly behind. The two boys eventually stood over Truckdresser as she lay nearly motionless on the ground. Her makeup was singed black along with most of her hair, which hung lopsidedly her head.

"It _is_ a wig," Kevin thought aloud. "I knew there's no way a seven-year-old could grow it out that long."

Ed looked from the boy to the girl on the ground. "Aren't you… aren't you gonna help her?"

"Help her?" Kevin sneered in confusion, "she just tried to _kill_ us!"

"B-but she's… I-I don't want to kill _her_!" Ed protested.

"You had no problem with all those makeup guys!"

"But they were… they weren't human! They weren't even zombies or aliens or something… I don't know," he said, saddened frustration building up in his words.

Kevin sighed, but he saw where Ed was coming from. "Well, I'm almost out of PSI. I can't even heal myself fully—" Kevin paused, and uttered a short, "Wait a minute." He knelt down and took a deep breath. The boy gathered his thoughts and opened up his mind, and the world around him became dark.

_PSI Magnet is actually an invaluable technique, not because of its obvious effect but because it allows one to learn to sense any PSI around him or her. While some learn naturally over time how to sense psionic energy, one who as learned PSI Magnet will get a jump start the skill._

An alien feeling flickered on and off as Kevin tried to get a bearing of a strange new sense. In a process that was similar to, but not exactly conscious thought, he "reached" out and felt two sensations near him. They felt like soft clouds of light, each giving off a gentle but distinct chord. One was warm and familiar, and it felt like a strong, persistent hum. The other was much colder, and it flickered and wavered chaotically.

Kevin smiled as he continued to explore his new sense. Ignoring Ed's energy, he focused on Truckdresser's. With some concentration, he felt his PSI stretch out from him, traveling through the dark void. It reached Truckdresser's energy, and began to pull it back toward Kevin.

When it reached, he felt his own psychic energy begin to restore. He felt a little uneasy about taking someone else's PSI. When it was taken into his own body, the energy changed into his own. He could feel it before then, though, and for a moment he could feel something chilling and foreign entering into his psyche.

After a few seconds had passed, Kevin had enough energy to heal himself and Ed fully. He had to cast PSI Magnet again to get enough to heal Truckdresser, which he did so reluctantly.

"W-huh?" Truckdresser uttered groggily as she regained consciousness. She sat up, groaning and rubbing her face, and gasped as she felt flecks of scorched makeup crumble off. She gasped again as she looked up to see Kevin and Ed standing over her, and she scrambled to her feet.

"Don't even try it," Kevin sneered as the girl pointed at them.

"Wh-wha?" she said when no lightning burst from her fingertips. "Why isn't it—"

"You're out of PSI," he explained. "You can't make any lightning without it."

The girl's eyes widened, but she quickly squinted them down into a sneer. A quick sob escaped her lips. She scrambled to her feet attempted to dart off, only to get caught by Kevin grabbing her hand.

"L-let me go!" she screamed as the boy got a hold of her other arm and forced both of them behind her back. Upon request, Ed came and tied the girls hands together with his jacket.

"Now, take us to Sarah," Kevin ordered.

With another suppressed sob and a sigh, the girl gave a quiet "Fine", and walked slowly down the tunnel. Kevin and Ed followed closely behind, the former holding firm to the jacket and the latter thinking about Sarah.

"So, who was this guy who gave you your powers?" Kevin interrogated as they made their way through the corridor.

"I-I don't know," the girl mumbled quietly. "He appeared in my bedroom. He wore a motorcycle helmet and said I could get back at—" she paused, and sighed, "he said I could get superpowers if I used them to capture her. I… I didn't believe him at first, but then he did… _something_ and I could suddenly make lightning and—wh-why am I telling you guys anything?! You're jerks!"

"_We're_ jerks? You tried to kill us with lightning and little freaky midget guys!"

"Hey, they were cute!" she whined.

"They were ugly and weird looking," Kevin said. "And you're no bikini-Nazz yourself."

"bikini-Nazz?" Ed questioned.

"Uh—" Kevin blushed and averted his gaze. "What I meant to say," he said, regaining his cynicism, "was that you're just as ugly as they are."

Ed looked and saw the girl's eyes open wide as she tried to suppress more sobs. Her once-purple dress was singed brown, her makeup was cracked and crumbling, and what was left of her wig hung lopsidedly on top of her, revealing a brown, bald head underneath.

_"Aw, is the Ugly Duckling gonna cry?"_

_"Don't get too close, or maybe you'll catch it!"_

"W-with all that makeup on!"

"H-huh?" Truckdresser asked. Kevin didn't say anything, but he looked at the other boy questioningly.

"You're ugly with that makeup and fake hair," Ed stated. "I don't like makeup. You'd look good without it."

Kevin, though confused, added, "Yeah, little girls and eyeshadow don't mix."

Truckdresser said nothing, but her gaze drooped toward the ground as they walked, and her previous squirms of futile resistance stopped. The tunnel soon grew more narrow and short as the path ahead forked to the left and to the right. The wall in front of them had two arrows; the one pointing to the left said **Truckdressers room, NOONE BUT ME ALLOUD!** while the one on the right said **Prisiner's room**. The three children took the path to the right without hesitation.

Down the corridor a little, Truckdresser gasped. Before Kevin could question why, he saw a set of wooden prison bars up ahead. The room was dim, but he could make out the space behind the bars.

The cell was empty.


	20. Oasis of Obsidian

**Chapter 20**

* * *

"Where is she?!"

Kevin snatched the collar of Truckdresser's shirt, ripping it a little along a burnt spot, and pulled her toward him.

"I-I-I d-don't kn-know!" She stammered, writhing to break free of his grasp. "S-she was h-here a m-minute ago! I had a g-g-guard w-w-watching her!"

"Sarah!" Ed shouted. The boy ran inside the cage, the door already open, and looked frantically around in all directions. It was largely empty, save for a pile of rocks and dirt in the corner.

"Did this helmet guy take her?" Kevin asked, keeping his grip steadfast.

"H-he said he wouldn't c-come until tomorrow. She must've escaped s-somehow!"

Kevin dragged Truckdresser into the cage as he approached something glinting in the dim light. As he got closer, he saw it was a puddle of makeup near the corner.

"Heh, you should know better than to mess with Sarah," he smirked, though his face quickly melted back to seriousness. "Where could she have—Ed, what are you doing?"

He turned to the other corner of the room to see Ed fanatically digging through the pile of rocks.

"She went through here," he sputtered as he scooped up handfuls of dirt and stone and carelessly tossed them behind him. "I… can feel it!"

"Went through where? All I see—" Kevin's and Truckdresser's eyes widened as they saw a small opening in the wall begin to appear, no higher than their waists, as Ed continued to unearth it. Before he had even removed the last of the rocks, the boy got on all fours and squeezed inside.

"Ed, wait!" Kevin let go of Truckdresser and darted toward the hole. The girl uttered a faint gasp as she felt the jacket unravel from her hands.

"Wh-what about me?" she inquired just before the boy was out of sight.

He paused for a moment, only his legs visible, and uttered a quick, "I could care less about you. I just want to find Sarah."

"B-but you caught… err, defeated me, or something! Shouldn't you take me to the police, like in the cartoons, or something?"

"No," was the stern reply. "I don't care if you do rob beauty stores or whatever. Ed was right, though, you do look stupid with all that makeup on. Lemon Brook's a dump and its mayor is an idiot. Heck, you could probably do this place some good if you wanted to."

And he left Laura Truckdresser behind without another word.

The hole turned into a tunnel, and immediately became pitch black as Kevin crawled through it. The sides were narrow, however, and he managed to quickly feel his way down the path.

A sudden tingle shot up his spine when he realized that he had left his bike near the cell, but he quickly recovered, knowing that it wouldn't fit inside the tunnel anyway. And if Truckdresser thought about doing anything to it—

Well, he just hoped for her sake that she wouldn't.

Growing annoyed at not being able to see—as well as somewhat frightened, as the memories of the giant snake started coming back—an idea popped into the boy's head.

"PK Flash."

The tunnel was instantly flooded with a bright, marvelous light in all directions.

And an instant later everything was black again.

Kevin sighed in frustration, but the flash was enough to tell him that the ceiling had grown taller, and he could stand up now.

"Ed! Can you hear me?" he shouted. His voice echoed clearly through the tunnel, and a moment later he heard a faint, "Sarah! I'm coming!"

Still unnerved by the lack of vision, but urgent to catch up with Ed, he turned his walk into a cautious gallop, holding his hands gingerly in front of him as the path began to twist and curve. A tiny suspicion wriggled its way into his thoughts that this might be a trap, but turning back wouldn't do any good and Ed would be heading into it anyway, so he kept on. The thought of having left Truckdresser behind made him wince in regret, but he tried to ignore it.

Finally, after rounding one last bend, a soft light washed over him and he could see the exit to the tunnel. An odd yet familiar feeling glowed faintly inside him as he slowed back down to a walk and headed toward the light. As he got closer the feeling grew stronger, and when he reached the end of the tunnel he gasped in amazement.

The boy stepped into a large, open cavern. The stone was a dark, glossy black, and the ceiling stretched high above his head. However, Kevin's awe came more from the abundance of plants that filled the area. They came in all shapes and sizes, some looking like bushes, others looking like palm fronds and some that had stalks that twisted and danced around the room, and they sprang from the ceiling and the walls in all directions. Every plant was a different bright, spectacular color and each one gave off a warm glow that glistened in the shiny, glass-like cave wall.

Images of the crystal oasis floated through Kevin's mind as a soothing sense of peace enveloped him. Up ahead, in a small clearing free of plants he saw Ed kneeling down over a little girl.

It was Sarah.

He trotted up and knelt down beside Ed. The girl was laying on the stone, her eyes closed, while Ed wore a concerned expression.

"I-is she?"

After a moment, Kevin smiled, and said, "don't worry, she's fine. Look, she's breathing."

The hatted boy reached out and gently shook her shoulder. With a gentle sigh, her eyes fluttered open, and she lazily lifted her head up. She flinched as she saw two figures kneeling over her, but she looked at Ed and gave a short gasp.

"S-Sarah?" Ed asked quietly, his face lighting up. He quickly frowned, though, and gasped, "I-I'm so sorry! You got kidnapped and put in a cell and I—"

The girl jumped up and hugged him before he could say anything else.

"Don't worry, I won't tell Mom," she said, smiling. Ed, though somewhat shocked and confused, hugged her back, and his face slowly lit into a smile of his own as they held their embrace.

After a few seconds, Kevin gave a ginger "Uh…" and the two looked at him.

"Kevin? What're you doing here?" Sarah asked. She sounded strange without any malice or anger in her voice, but it was hard for the boy to imagine anyone being brash in this place.

He replied with a simple "Helping Ed find you. What happened, exactly? To you, I mean."

Sitting on Ed's knees, she answered, "Well, I was getting ready for bed a few days ago when I heard something. I came out of my room and I see these weird little… midget things!"

"Little Makeup Men," Ed added.

"That's not a bad name," Sarah mused, "but anyway, I see a few of them wandering around, and the next thing I know one of them saw me and it tackled me! And then all of the others tackled me too, and when I tried to bite one of them they turned into this icky stuff!"

Kevin shuttered at the thought, and Sarah herself winced from the memory, but she continued, "And before I could call for help, I get gagged and I see this girl covered in makeup and stuff ordering these things around, and then suddenly everything went black."

"Truckdresser," Ed remarked.

"Anyway, they locked me up for a day or two—I can't really tell since they wouldn't let me outside and it was dark all the time—but eventually I got sick of waiting, so I looked around the room for a way out. One of the mid—err, Makeup Men guarding me told me to stop walking around my cell—they were jerks like that—and came inside. It… it was going to hit me, and…"

Her voice trailed off, and her eyes lowered a little. "Well, I…"

"Killed it?" Kevin guessed.

"Yeah, but… it's _how_ I killed it… I don't think you guys would believe me."

Kevin looked at her, then shifted his gaze to Ed. "Did it involve getting a fever?"

"W-what?"

Kevin turned back toward Sarah. "Did you get some kind of weird fever at some point?"

"Y-yeah, actually," the girl said, surprised. "After that brat got me, I was hot and sweaty and my head was throbbing for the first while. And when the Makeup Man came in to hit me, I… I…"

"What happened?" Kevin asked. "Did you shoot fire or lightning or something at it?"

Sarah turned toward him with a look of confusion. Kevin's voice was sincere, but she didn't know if he was serious or not. "Well, I don't know why, really," she said, "but I put my hands on the ground and I felt this weird… _energy_ or something go through me, and suddenly the ground shook really hard beneath the Man's feet, and the next thing I know he turns into a puddle of makeup!"

Kevin and Ed exchanged glances briefly before the former said, "Huh, haven't heard of _that_ PSI before."

"PSI? What are you talking about?"

In the glow of the light and the peace of the cavern, Ed and Kevin told Sarah of PSI and their discovering of it. She seemed bewildered by the concept, but she listened intently and hung onto every word as she sat on Ed's lap. The light was bright enough for Kevin to take the journal out of his pocket and show the girl some of it. When Kevin asked, Ed told the two about how he defeated Truckdresser, and Kevin began sifting through the list of abilities to find something lightning-related.

"It was weird," Ed said. "When I got struck by lightning, I heard words in my head, but they weren't my words and they were chopped and garbled. I also think I heard Double-D. Oh, Double-D…"

His face sank momentarily, but an embrace from his sister brought a smile back to it.

"I know what you mean," Kevin said as he skimmed through the pages, "whenever one of my fevers goes away and I learn a new PSI, I hear one of the entries in this journal explaining the ability to me too. Though it's clear to me—I don't know why you would hear it garbled. Maybe you weren't close enough to the book… Ah, here it is!"

Showing the others the book, Kevin read aloud, "PK Thunder is a special elemental PSI ability that allows the user to create and manipulate electricity. It is special in that it can pierce through psychic shields, which normally block all PSI-based attacks, and depending on the power level, one can summon up to four or five bolts at a time per attack. There is no known way to counter PK Thunder, though some have claimed that those who can utilize the ability, when struck by lightning themselves, have a small chance that they can redirect it before it does critical damage.

"On a side note, I have been working on a device that should, in theory, redirect lightning by itself. I have a few prototypes finished, but I'm working on making them smaller and more durable so they'll last longer. I haven't given the device a name yet, though I'm considering naming it after Ben Franklin, who discovered how to make use of electricity."

"So this Truckdresser girl could do that?" Sarah asked. "That's kinda scary."

"But Ed here learned how to counter it," Kevin said, closing the book and putting it safe in his pocket. "She won't be a problem any longer."

"Why did she kidnap me, anyway?"

"Some dude in a motorcycle helmet told her to, apparently. I don't know why _he_ would want you though. I mean, who would want you?"

The girl growled at him, and he nervously added, "T-to kidnap you, that is! I mean, there wasn't any ransom or anything, right?"

Sarah gave a small sneer, and she snorted and turned away from him.

"Aaanyway," Kevin croaked, "how did you get here, in this cave?"

Sarah kept her head turned from Kevin, but she explained, "After I defeated the Makeup Man, I went back to looking for a way out. The door was open, but I was afraid I'd find more of those goons than I could handle, and I still didn't know what the heck I did to the last one, so I searched my cell to see if I could use something as a weapon. I found a little hole big enough for me to stick my hand into, and I pulled at the rock and it crumbled easily, and after a while I found a little cave. I didn't want anyone following me, though, so I grabbed some rocks laying around and piled them up to cover the hole after I went in, then I walked through the cave for a bit and then I found this place.

"Speaking of which," she added, "what… _is_ this place, anyway?"

"I'm not sure," Kevin replied, looking around. "It feels just like the crystal place I mentioned earlier; it's just awesome, and peaceful."

A sudden glint caught the boy's eye, coming from underneath a small plant. He walked over to it and picked something up. It was a mirror, shaped like a long, jagged wedge. He simply stared at his reflection dumbfoundedly until Ed and Sarah both asked what he had found. Suddenly, he gasped, and he reached into his pocket. He felt something in his hand, and he pulled out another mirror, identical to the one he picked up.

"This is weird," he said, walking back to the other two with the objects in his hands.

"What're those?" Sarah asked.

"I dunno," Kevin replied. "I found this—" he held up his right hand "—in the crystal place. And I just found this—" he held up his left hand "—right over there."

"Do you think they're from the same mirror?" Sarah asked.

"Huh?"

"They look like pieces of a broken mirror," she elaborated. "See if they fit together."

Curious, he rotated the piece in his left hand so it lined up with the piece in his right. To his surprise, the jagged edges from one side of the mirror matched the edges from the other side of the other mirror, and their short sides had the same curvature. He felt an invisible force gently pull the two pieces together, and when they met, a bright light flashed between them.

Kevin almost dropped the mirrors in surprise. When the light went away, he found himself holding one single mirror formed from the previous two.

"W-woah," the three said in unison.

"What do you think it means?" Ed asked, standing up with Sarah to look at the mirror.

"I dunno," Kevin said, "but it's not any stranger than everything else we've seen." The three gazed into their reflections with awe. The mirror was immaculate, free of any dust or grime even as it was held in the boy's dusty hands, and their reflections were as vivid and detailed as if they were really looking at themselves.

After a while, Kevin put the mirror back into his pocket. "Well, we'll figure everything out once we get you home," he said. "Let's go."

"A-already?" Sarah and Ed whined in unison.

"This place is cool, but your parents miss you and are probably starting to miss you too," he said to Sarah and then Ed. "Besides, we're not too far from your house, I think. I'm sure you can come here again sometime."

Reassured, but reluctant, the two followed him back to the entrance of the tunnel. With one last glance at the place, they went in.

The journey went without any more incident than the occasional bumping against another person or scraping an arm on the wall as the three made their way through the dark. Kevin got Ed to try using a tiny bit of PK Fire to use his fingers as makeshift candles, but he had trouble keeping the flames consistent and they either burned out or grew too large, nearly burning the back of Kevin's neck. They decided to go back to wandering in the dark after that.

Finally, the tunnel began to lower and the three were forced to crawl on their hands and knees. The light from the other side was dim but reassuring, and they made it out of the tunnel and back into the jail room. Truckdresser was gone, but the cell door stood ajar and Kevin's bike leaned on the wall outside it, patient as ever.

"I missed ya, babe," the boy swooned as he ran toward the contraption and embraced it. Sarah rolled her eyes and let out a sarcastic, "Oh brother", but Kevin took no notice. Ed found his jacket on the floor nearby. Curiously, it was folded into a neat square. He glanced around as he put it on, but only Sarah and Kevin were in the room with him. The three continued down the corridor and rounded the bend, and the mineshaft began to expand and grow more elaborate again.

"I wonder what she planned to do with the place," Kevin mused as they walked. "Heh, I bet most of the work was done on her roo—"

The three children stopped in their tracks. A figure appeared up ahead, silhouetted in the shade between the sparse lights on the ceiling. It stepped into view, revealing itself as a person dressed in black. He wore a black jack with matching pants, shoes and gloves. His head was concealed behind a large motorcycle helmet. He was as tall as Kevin, though there were no other features visible to distinguish his age. The visor of his helmet reflected the three children as he stepped toward them.

"You!" Ed shouted, pointing at the man. "You made Truckdresser kidnap Sarah!"

The man said nothing. Instead, he raised his hand up to his chest, pointing two fingers outward. A strange, colorless glow appeared around them, giving off a silent intensity.

"Don't even think about it!" Kevin charged at the man, his shield raised and his hands balled into fists. The man took a nervous step back, but he cast his fingers out and the glow rippled out from them.

Something's wrong.

That was the only thought that passed through Kevin's head as the light buzzed through him. The sickly feeling of falling registered just before something cold and hard smacked painfully into his face. A wave of fear tingled up his spine. He could no longer move his arms or legs.

"Kevin!" Ed ran up to the boy, but the man in the motorcycle helmet cast the spell again. Ed stumbled and fell to the ground, yelling in shock.

"Y-you okay?" Kevin sputtered, more as a reassurance to himself that he could breathe than anything else.

"I-I'm okay," Ed replied.

"Guys!" Sarah hesitantly took a step forward, but she didn't take her eyes off of the man.

"Get out of here!" Ed shouted.

"B-but you—"

"We'll be fine!" Kevin hollered.

"N-no! I can help!" The girl clenched her eyes shut, knelt down and slammed her hands on the ground. A visible wave of energy came from them, blasting out along the ground towards the man in the motorcycle helmet. It slammed into Ed and Kevin along the way. They yelled in pain, shifting ever so slightly as the wave passed through them. When the attack reached the man, he didn't so much as flinch. A red, translucent shield of energy appeared before him. When the wave hit it, it split apart and harmlessly circumnavigated around him.

"J-just go!" Kevin screamed as tears began to run down his face. "You can't do anything!"

"GO!" Ed echoed, a few speckles of blood coming from his mouth.

Tears streaming down her face, she ran past the boys, keeping as much distance between her and the man as possible. The man himself watched her run, but he did nothing as she dashed down the corridor and disappeared from sight.

"Wh-what do you want?" Kevin gasped, trying to ignore the pain.

The man stood before the two boys. He said nothing, but he raised a pair of glowing fingers and pressed them against Kevin's head.

Everything went black.

* * *

**End Part 2**


	21. In Grapefruit Beck, There is a Genius

**Part 3**

* * *

**Chapter 21**

* * *

"Not-good-not-good-not-good-not-good-not-good!"

Flying across the thick mattress of snow, heavily-padded knees churned through it as they propelled the boy along before his feet even touched the dormant grass below. Clumsily hurtling over a boulder in his way, he took care not to damage the large object strapped to his back. Weaving through trees, trees, trees as their snow-layered branches began to blot out what little light there was from the overcast sky, he panted as the hulking figure right behind him gave chase, growing closer, closer.

Eddward Double-D found himself in quite the predicament. Not good indeed.

"I-I-I meant n-no d-d-disrespect!" he sputtered in an irrational attempt to reason with the thing behind him. "I-I w-w-was j-just pa-passing th-through!"

The figure giving chase took no heed. Its hooves pounded into the ground, flinging chunks of wet snow and clouds of dry powder into the air. Its antlers tore through any stray branches that got in its way as it pursued the boy, and its pale gray fur glistened whenever a small patch of sunlight streaked across it.

"What kind of caribou are you?!" Edd cried. He expected no answer as he weaved through the trees in an attempt to lose it, but he wouldn't be surprised it he actually got one.

After all, this was the third time this week that some animal had gone mad and tried to attack him.

"Alright, Double-D, think," Edd told himself. His destination was just up ahead, but his burning lungs and numb legs told him that he was reaching his limit. The caribou was catching up to him. Oh, if only he wasn't carrying such a heavy payload—oh no, absolutely not! It was much too important to even consider giving up. The elastic straps holding the enormous bundle chafed his shoulders even through the thick coat and layers of clothing underneath it, and it bobbed up and down on his back as the straps stretched and contracted.

Wait a minute, that's it!

With adrenaline pumping through his body, a plan formed in his head. After a quick scan of the area ahead of him, he immediately set it to action. Criss-crossing through the trees had bought him a little time, as the caribou insisted on following his path and lost speed trying to change direction so suddenly. Edd took the object off of his back and released the straps that were attached to the cloth bundling it up. He worked furiously, barely able to hear the monster approaching over the sound of his beating heart. When he was finally done, he took his position between two trees that were only a few feet apart.

"Hey! I take back that apology!" he shouted. "I _did_ mean to disturb you! And I have absolutely no regrets about it whatsoever!"

Not the best of insults, he figured, but it was enough to cause the raging animal to head directly toward him.

Crouching down and planting his hands into the snow, Edd stood his ground, terrified, but confident. The beast got closer, closer, and right when it was just a few feet away, the boy thrust his hands up and jumped back. The caribou continued its charge at the boy, getting closer and closer as he scrambled back. Its charge lost speed, however. It began to slow down.

When the animal finally stopped, Edd could see its eyes grow wide as it looked up. Three elastic straps were caught on its antlers, tied to the two trees that were now a ways behind it. The caribou had just enough time to make a comical whimper before the straps reached their limit. They launched it backwards through the air like an enormous slingshot. It flew a ways before slamming into a tree head-first. Its antlers dug deep into the trunk.

The caribou stopped moving.

Part dazed, part horrified, but mostly exhausted, Edd gave an involuntary chuckle as he fell backward into the soft pillow of snow behind him. He quickly got back up, however, and walked over to the object he had cast aside. He picked it up—deciding to leave the strap-trap behind in case something else attacked him on his next journey—and awkwardly carried it up the large hill ahead.

Panting as he reached the top, he felt a bit of satisfaction as he walked over to a contraption in front of him. Pieces of cardboard, sheets of metal and various wooden boards were intricately attached to a refrigerator in a collage of Sticky Tape and screws and nails of all sizes, forming the shape of a makeshift airplane. Edd admired his handiwork for a while before he lay the bundle on the snow and unrolled it. Under the cloth was a large propeller, made out of light mahogany wood and as long as he was tall. It was hastily made, but it was aerodynamic enough.

"Thank goodness Grape Beck Academy has a woodshop class," the boy said to himself as he hoisted the propeller up onto the crude but sturdy snow blower motor at the front of the plane. Using a set of tools laying on a stump near the contraption, he carefully screwed the propeller firmly in place. He felt a pang of regret as he worked; he had never gotten the propeller graded, and it most certainly would have gotten him an A. But two whole days had passed since construction began, and he probably wouldn't have gotten it back if he turned it in anyway.

"Just one thing left," he sighed.

Back down the hill he went, tired but alert. He wanted to ask himself why he was doing this, but he already knew. What he really wanted to ask was why he was doing this _despite_ what he already knew.

_"D-Double D? Double-D!"_

_"Who's there?"_

_"Double-D!"_

_"E-Ed? Is that you?"_

_"We need your help!"_

_"Help? Who is 'we'?"_

_"Me and Kevin! He came and helped me find Sarah because she was kidnapped by a little girl and we found a pretty place but this guy attacked and Sarah got away but he used some weird PSI on us and we couldn't move and then he said something and we were asleep and—"_

_"Calm down, Ed! Where are you now?"_

_"I…I don't know."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"We're in a cave. Somewhere. I think! We woke up here, and Kevin got angry and tried to blast us out, but nothing worked so he told me to try and concentrate to see if I could call for help with my PSI. It was hard at first, but then I suddenly felt something and it felt like you and then I grabbed onto it with my mind and we started talking!"_

_"P-PSI? What is PSI?"_

_"It's psychic powers Kevin and I got. Like… Like when he healed you! That was PSI Lifeup."_

_"And you're talking to me… in my sleep? With these powers?"_

_"Yup! Can you help us?"_

_"I-I—"_

_"I can't talk any longer! We need your help, Double-D!"_

_"Ed, wait!"_

Edd had woken up before he could say anything else.

Under normal circumstances, the boy would've just considered the dream as some sort of manifestation of his homesickness. An attempt to rationalize Kevin's strange powers, and the immense regret of not being able to study them further, possibly compounded with the grief of losing Eddy. However, ever since then, he could not ignore what felt like, for lack of a better description, a "tug" on his consciousness. It seemed to pull on him toward the south, gentle yet omnipresent. He found himself unconsciously turning his head to look southward in class and he had to focus whenever he walked in a different direction or else he would get sidetracked. It was too strange and coincidental for him to ignore. Edd would've gone mad if he had and not done anything about it.

So he had decided to build a plane.

He pulled himself out of his thoughts as he saw the caribou near the base of the hill. It was smaller than before. Its gray fur had turned brown and its antlers were less menacing, though they were still stuck in the trunk of the tree. The animal was conscious now, and it struggled fruitlessly to get itself unstuck.

The boy sighed and mumbled under his breath at how stupid he was, but he cautiously approached the animal. It was too busy trying to free itself to notice him until he started pulling on its antlers himself, bracing his legs against the tree for support.

With a loud crack, the caribou was free. Edd quickly slid behind the tree in case it decided to attack, but it simply ran off, frightened.

"I wish I knew what was going on here," he sighed as he continued on. Maybe Kevin and Ed knew, he thought. Actually, that was a good point. Another reason for delving into this insanity, he figured, but a good one. The forest began to thin out as he made his way back toward the school, though the trees never went away entirely.

Grape Beck Academy was a large boarding school, built with crimson red bricks and surrounded by a large wall on all sides, making it look more like a prison than anything else. This served little obstacle to Edd, however, as he approached the wall near the front gate. Leaning up against it was a long, metal pole, a few feet taller than he was. He grabbed it with gloved hands and took a few steps back. Holding the pole over his shoulder, he broke into a sprint and ran as fast as he could toward the wall. With practiced motions, he thrust it into the ground and jumped. The boy's momentum carried him onward while the pole itself bent and subsequently straightened upward, rocketing him up with it.

With an "Oof!" and a shaky hustle for balanced footing, Edd landed squarely on top of the wall.

"My light stature is good for something at least," he chuckled to himself as he lifted the rod up with him. He walked along the top of the barricade for a bit, scanning the inside yard for a sizable pile of snow that he hadn't already jumped in before. When he found one, he kneeled down and carefully probed the pile with his pole. He did _not_ want a repeat of "The Gas Meter Incident". When he found that there was nothing under the snow, he exhaled and jumped.

Edd felt his stomach rise up as his spine tingled from the fall in an odd mixture of excitement and fear. In an instant, the snow enveloped him up to his arms and the feeling vanished. Struggling a little, he managed to pull himself out of the bank, and he quickly ran to the entrance of the school after grabbing the pole to take with him.

The interior of the building was welcoming and warm, a stark contrast to the dark, snowy land of Grape Beck. The walls and floor were adorned with orange and brown, the school's colors, and the entrance opened up to a large central hallway that reached up three floors. The first two floors were dedicated for classrooms, but the third floor was where the student's quarters were, luckily for Edd. Also luckily for him was that the entire hall was empty.

He felt a little sick. He knew he was missing class, and his unexcused absences would tarnish his citizenship grade—well, tarnish it _further_, since the last time he decided to cut class under the persuasion of his friends, anyway. But something compelled him. Not just the southbound force that made it nigh impossible to concentrate anyway, but a smaller, deeper feeling was there.

He didn't hesitate as he made his way up the stairs.

Turning left and going back down the hall on the third floor, Edd made his way to his room. He counted the doors he had left to go: six doors, five doors, four—

"You there!"

Edd jumped and turned to see a smartly dressed lady standing on the other side of the hall, one floor down.

"What are you doing outside of class young man?" she snapped.

"I-I… Um…" Edd hadn't planned an excuse; hall monitors were rare in the school, he had quickly found out during his first few escapades outside. "I… need to get something from my room! I-I fo-forgot my… um, books! My books."

Even through her thick, pointed glasses, he could see the lady narrow her eyes as she scowled and said, "You are lying through your teeth. Come here this instant and report to the dean's office!"

"I-I'm afraid I a-am unable to do that!"

And he took off.

_What am I doing? I can't run away, I might be suspended! Expelled! Deported! What will happen to my future? Will this follow me to college? Why am I doing this?!_ Thoughts swarmed through the boy's head as he grabbed the handle to his door just to keep him from flying past it. He could hear the loud claps of high heels on tile as the lady ran toward the stairs.

He flew into the the room, closing the door and locking it in one swift motion. He turned around and tried not to cringe. His room was in shambles, a panorama of systematically cut sheets and dismantled furniture. It was nearly painful to look at, but he put all that aside for the task on hand. First thing's first was the large backpack laying near the window. He put it on, grunting a little at the sudden weight of supplies and materials pressing down on him. Next was the key. The key. Where was it again?

"You open this door right now!"

He heard a furious knock on the door and then a faint jingle of keys. In a panic, Edd scrambled around the room. Where was that blasted key?!

"Where is it? Come on!" He tossed bedsheets and papers and bits of furniture left and right. A sudden glint caught his eye. He turned to the nightstand near the remains of his bed, the only piece of furniture that wasn't taken apart. On top of it was a small key.

"Of course," he sighed in frustration as he dove for the object. With a loud _click_, he knew he had to get out of the school.

"You have a lot of—Oh my goodness!"

The woman stood at the door. Edd stood in the middle of his trashed room, guilty as can be.

"I-I-I kn-know this looks bad, a-and I-I—"

"You have a _lot_ of explaining to do, young man!" she scolded, taking slow, furious steps forward. "Come to the dean's office right _now_."

"I-I-I-I'm a-afraid I c-c-can't d-do th-that," he stuttered, stepping back for every step she took until he found himself pressed up against the window. He silently fumbled for the latch with his free hand, and thanked the contractor for installing windows that opened upward. He slid the pane behind him and maneuvered his pole outside the window just in time for the woman to see what he was doing. She gasped as he began to slip out of it himself, standing on the ledge for support. The ground lay stories below, dizzyingly, staggeringly below.

"W-what are you doing? Get back in here this instant!"

"I'm sorry, I really am," Edd said, "but this is something I must do. I've gone too far anyway—my school record is tarnished."

"We can talk to your counselor," she goaded, a tiny hint of worry betraying her otherwise fierce voice. "If you can explain yourself, we can work out a solution to whatever problem you're facing, but this isn't the answer!"

Edd froze on the window sill. _What am I thinking? A dream. I did all of this because of a _dream_! Why on earth did I think it could be real?_

The pull reminded him.

_No, maybe it really isn't. I haven't read every book on psychology yet. There must be a rational explanation._

It remained steadfast.

The sound of a walkie-talkie transmission ending brought him back to reality for a moment, where he saw the woman lower the device from her ear.

"I've called the dean and the counselor over," she said. "We can help you."

Two men quickly filed into the room and gasped at mess on the floor and the boy in the window.

"What on earth is going on here?" the first one asked. "Get down from there!"

They approached him, ready to take him away by force. Cutting class. Stealing school supplies. Leaving campus. Mentally unstable. Suicidal. This was the end. This was the end of school as he knew it. There was no turning back. There was nothing to turn back to.

Edd jumped.

Time seemed to slow down. He quickly undid a small latch on the pole, activating the simple mechanisms he had built into it. An instant later, two bedsheets sprung forth from either side, forming the wings to a small glider. They caught wind and the flimsy material supporting them immediately buckled, but it was just enough to get Edd over the wall. He landed hard in a big pile of snow and ripped the broken wings off of the poll. He turned back to see the three adults look through the window. They stood still in shock for a moment before they quickly turned around and ran out of view.

As he made his way through the snow, he soon heard voices and footsteps behind him. After hearing a sudden "There he is!", he broke into a sprint.

Flying across the thick mattress of snow, heavily-padded knees churned through it as they propelled the boy along before his feet even touched the dormant grass below. Clumsily hurtling over a boulder in his way, he took care not to upset his large backpack filled with supplies. Weaving through trees, trees, trees as their snow-layered branches began to blot out what little light there was from the overcast sky, he panted as the mob of adults right behind him gave chase, growing closer, closer.

Edd ignored the sudden deja vu. He could hear a plethora of shouts and grunts behind him. Had they called the entire school staff after him?

Their shouts and footsteps grew closer very fast. He'd never make it at this rate. Edd steeled himself. He had made his choice. Suddenly, he saw something up ahead. He smiled.

There was no way he was turning back now.

The crowd of adults slowed their pace when they saw the child they were chasing after stop and turn to face them. Curiously, he put his hands in the snow and took a few steps back.

"I'm really sorry about this," he said, stopping. The mob of school staff walked up to him, exchanging confused glances as he continued, "Please know that this reflects in no way, shape, or form my thoughts or opinions of this school or the education system as a whole!"

The woman from before spoke up. "What are you—"

Edd pulled his arms out of the snow and let go of the straps he was holding on to. They cleanly smacked the front of the mob in the stomach, and thrust every single member backwards into the snow.

"This is the last of my shenanigans, I promise!"

Edd charged up the hill, dividing his attention with keeping his speed and making sure that he still had the small silver key in his hand. The crowd was soon after him again, as he could tell by the shouts and mumbles that were angrier than before. When he got to the airplane, he wasted no time as he got behind and pushed it towards the edge of the hill.

"What on earth?"

Edd didn't turn to look behind him as he hopped into the refrigerator and used the key to start the engine. The device had just enough momentum to continue on its makeshift wheels until it reached a steep slope ahead. It began to quickly pick up speed, leaving the adults behind.

His heart racing, the boy grabbed the handmade controls as the contraption sped up more and more. At the end of the hill was a large ramp made of snow. The plane ran over it. The sudden change in direction forced Edd to lurch forward. His makeshift safety belt held him fast. He felt his stomach rise as everything around him began to sink downward.

Eddward Double-D was flying.


	22. Prison

**Chapter 22**

* * *

"Alright Ed, lemmie have it!"

Feet scraping against the hard concrete floor, Ed charged. His fisted hand trailed behind him as he picked up speed. Kevin braced himself, placing all of his trust in a few lines of text he had read moments ago. Floating in the air in front of him were shields; one, two, three, four shields layered over each other. Ed ground to a halt just before them, but he transferred all of his momentum into his arm, propelling his fist ahead at a blistering speed. Instinct took over, and Kevin looked away at the last second.

_Crack!_

A sound like a sort of ethereal glass shattering echoed through the prison cell. It was a few seconds before Kevin found the courage to open his eyes. He turned, and saw Ed's fist mere inches from his face. Motionless.

"It works!" Ed shouted jovially, hopping from one foot to the next in happiness. He retracted his arm effortlessly back through the shields and watched in awe as the energy quickly filled in the hole it left behind.

"Man, four shields stacked on each other and you can still break right through them with one punch," Kevin sighed.

"But I didn't hit you again this time!" Ed replied. His little dance grew slower as his face fell a little.

"Yeah, good for that." The boy gingerly rubbed his once-black eye and the back of his head as painful memories of the day before played through his mind. He was satisfied, however; George's Journal mentioned that shields could stack when the technique was used multiple times.

"What next?" Ed asked.

"Let's take a break," Kevin replied, "I'm beat."

With a short "Aw" but nothing more, Ed followed the boy as he slumped to the wall and sat down. The cell had two bunkbeds on either wall, but they were all worn and decrepit. The bars themselves were rusting away, but a strange barrier encased them, making them resistant to either boys' physical attacks and nulling any PSI that got near.

The dim fluorescent lights above them flickered again. They did it near constantly, and would become more violent at certain intervals, threatening to go out and leave the boys in darkness at any time. It wasn't difficult for Kevin to realize they were in a prison of some sort; there were several other cells in a long hallway around them, and the walls were reinforced enough to be impervious to any attacks.

The person who had kidnapped them would occasionally appear to bring them food by sliding a tray under the bars, but he never once spoke a word. Kevin once dived and grabbed his hand before he could pull it back from under the bars, but he quickly jerked back and his gloves slipped out of the boy's grasp before he could do anything. The man left the trays just within the boys' reach after that.

After several failed attempts at breaking out, the two decided to make the best of their situation. Their kidnapper didn't take anything from their pockets—Kevin wondered why, but never said anything to him about it—so he still had the journal. And they had decided to train themselves.

"Are you sure you reached Double-D?" Kevin asked.

"Uh-huh," Ed affirmed. "I felt it."

"At least someone knows we're here. Wherever here _is_."

**~ααα~**

_What have I done? What am I doing? What am I… What am I… What…_

No matter how hard he tried, Edd could not complete his thoughts as he soared through the air in his makeshift airplane. He was too filled with excitement to think clearly—after all, he was flying. Flying! In a contraption that he had constructed with his own two hands, on his own free will, all on his own! Flying! And the plane handled well, considering the parts he made it out of. It was somewhat difficult to steer, but Edd only knew one direction he had to go—south. The tug on his mind wouldn't let him go any other way as he glided high above the clouds.

The engine was noisy, and coupled with the fierce wind it made any other sounds mute, but Edd didn't mind. The experience was just so thrilling, though after a while the excitement died down a little. The boy could almost hear Eddy's whoops of joy and Ed's tongue flapping around in the breeze…

_Oh, Eddy,_ he thought, crestfallen.

_But Ed's still alive._

"Right," the boy said to himself over the roar of the engine. He felt the air getting warmer under his big coat and he gingerly lowered beneath the clouds to get a bitter view. As the trip went on, he felt the pull become stronger. Stronger.

**~ααα~**

Kevin sat on the stone floor, legs crossed, eyes closed. Meditating was still a foreign experience to him, but the journal was right to say that it helped one's understanding of PSI. Beads of sweat ran down his red face as he concentrated on slowing down the thoughts buzzing through his head. His mind began to clear as the world began to fade away around him. Almost there, alm_ost there…_

_Something zipped past Kevin. He turned to see what it was just as it zipped behind him. It crackled through the blackness, turning sharp, jagged corners as it flew around the boy faster than he could keep up. It taunted him, appearing right in front of his face and disappearing right before he could even move._

_Kevin was prepared, though. His mind was clear, and he knew exactly what to do. He gathered up his PSI, waiting. Waiting. The thing zipped in front of his face again._

_Now!_

_Streams of visible energy burst from Kevin. They zipped in angular spirals around each other, meeting in the center right where the thing was._

_It stopped, frozen in its tracks._

The boy gasped reality took back his consciousness. With a smile, he quickly picked up the journal and flipped to the abilities page. His eyes, guided by an unseen force, quickly centered in on one particular entry:

**_PK Paralysis (though most just shorten it to Paralysis, to avoid the awkward alliteration) is a very useful technique for battling quick or unpredictable foes. It takes away ones' ability to move, as the name suggests, but still allows them to breathe and use psionic abilities of their own, if they have any. As this technique's level increases, so does its duration. At high levels, one is able to cast it on multiple targets at once._**

"Sweet," he said to himself. "If that helmet dude tries that again, I can just use it on him myself next time." He looked over to Ed, who was meditating on the other side of the room. Ed was slower at it than him; understandable, he figured. While he had no doubt that clearing Ed's mind wouldn't be hard for the guy, holding still was another requirement that took all of his willpower to do, it seemed.

"What happened?" Ed asked, his hands fidgeting around his crossed legs.

"I think I learned a way to get us—"

_BOOM!_

The two boys were knocked out of their sitting positions and onto the ground as the ceiling above them exploded. Kevin sprang toward Ed, manifesting a shield as he did. Chunks of metal and concrete rained down from above. Kevin got to Ed and raised the shield in front of them. A wooden propeller flung right into it an instant later. It stopped closer to Kevin's face than Ed's fist had.

"Oof! Oh-oh dear!" Coughing and sputtering and dazed, a boy in a large orange coat and black hat crawled out of a large pile of rubble and debris.

"D-Double… Double-D?"

The boy looked up just in time to see Ed's face light up like a firework.

"Double-D! It is you!" Ed leaped into the air and caught Edd in a large hug. Though Edd's thick clothing padded the boy's brutal hold, it pained him to try and breathe as dust filled his lungs and forced him to cough.

"Double-D? E-Ed! Let go of him!" Kevin shouted, scrambling up the pile of ceiling and broken parts of the plane. Ed reluctantly let go, allowing his friend to gasp for breath, but his face remained lit in a huge smile.

"W-what is this all about?" Edd coughed. "What on earth is going on?"

"I'd like to know that too," Kevin said. "But here's what—"

The sudden sound of footsteps caused the boys to turn just in time to see the man in the helmet screech to a halt before the cell, stopping just before the bars that had been knocked clean from their foundation in the crash.

"You dork!" Kevin sprinted for the man. He grabbed the remains of one of the cell bars along the way. The man in the helmet took a cautious step back and raised his fingers. They began to glow, but Kevin quickly whipped at them with the bar. The man staggered back, and Kevin shouted, "Paralysis!"

The man fell over, his limbs frozen in place like a statue.

"Who is that?" Edd asked.

"He's the dork who kidnapped us and gave Truckdresser PSI," Kevin explained as the three approached him. "But he ain't a problem n—"

A sudden chord surged through the boy's mind, the strange sensation that he felt whenever he or Ed used PSI. The man suddenly sprang to life, Before anyone could react, he quickly dashed off.

Kevin, Edd and Ed all gave pursuit, darting through the hallways lined with cells as the man pulled away from them. Up the old stairs on the right, down the white but dirty hall, through the wreckage of the first floor where a gaping hole and the remnants of Edd's plane lay just ahead, and through the front door of the building they went before it shut.

The three gasped as a sudden wave of light and heat washed over them.


	23. Desert of Dreams

**Chapter 23**

* * *

"We're… in a desert?!"

Even though the sky was a dull white, the three had to shield their eyes to adjust from the darkness of the prison to the stark brightness around them. A sudden rev of an engine make Kevin force his eyes back open, and he saw a brown car just in front of the boys take off, the helmeted man at the wheel. In a roar of acceleration, it quickly became nothing but a shrinking cloud of dust in a still sea of sand dunes.

"Wh-what was that all about?" Edd asked.

"That was the dork who knocked us out and took as here," Kevin said, his eyes still adjusting to the light he hadn't seen in days. The three looked around, nothing but pale dunes of sand stretching in every direction. The tracks the car had left quickly dissipated as a gust of wind blew them away. The exterior of the prison was all that stood out; tiny, worn and decrepit.

"Where are we?" He suddenly turned to Edd. "How did you get here?"

"I built a plane," Edd replied. His face sank, and he added, "Well, I _had_ built a plane, but I don't think I'll be able to fix it."

"Did you see anything on the way here?"

"I can't say for sure. I was above the clouds for the most part, but comparing the estimated speed and time of travel of my plane with that of the car ride from Peach Creek to Grape Beck, I'd say I traveled a little further during the former."

The boy looked around again, smiling a little as he saw Ed play on one of the nearby hills of sand, and added, "In fact, I think we may very well be in or near the desert region just south of Peach Creek."

Kevin lit up. "That's great!"

"Not exactly, Kevin. If you remember anything from our Geography class—"

"Man, I hate Geography."

"—you'd know that the region is over thrice the size of our hometown. And judging by the size and fortification of this building," he said as he gestured toward the prison, "we must be miles from civilization, and deliberately so. What this prison lacks in raw material containment it makes up for in geological positioning. Back in its day, and especially now it may not be difficult to break out of and abscond from for a prisoner, but they'd then be at the mercy of this hostile landscape."

Kevin sighed. The building was cool, and he felt his head begin to pound in the sudden heat. Edd held a hand up against his head also, and suggested they go back inside.

Edd called for Ed as they began heading back inside the building, and the large boy complied immediately. As Kevin led the two down the stairs, he asked, "Can you fix the plane back up?"

"I'm not sure," Edd answered. "It was a pretty rough landing." They made it back to the prison cell, and a pungent odor pricked at their nostrils.

Edd asked what it was, and Kevin sheepishly replied, "Well, we were in there for like, two days I think."

Edd didn't inquire further.

The cell had turned into a disaster zone of bits and pieces of wood and fabric scattered across a pile of concrete and broken metal. The rubble didn't hint in the slightest that the debris within it had once formed a device capable of flight. Near the far corner of the room, a crumpled refrigerator glistened dimly under the light that seeped down from the room above. Almost everything covered in a mixture of gasoline and oil. The only thing that looked relatively in tact was the propeller, though it was chipped and had cracked when it hit Kevin's shield.

"Oh dear," Edd remarked, his eyes wide open as he viewed the wreckage in front of him. "I-it's a good thing I installed a seat belt."

"What caused you to think that crashing into a building was such a good idea, exactly?" Kevin asked.

"I-I'm not sure," Edd replied, to both boys' surprise. "After Ed called to me for help, I felt a sort of… well, a tugging sensation on my subconscious, as best as I can describe it. I followed it here and when I started heading above the building, it compelled me to go down. So I… so I did." The boy rubbed the back of his head, and suddenly found the refrigerator very interesting.

With Ed's help, he removed some of the concrete to find the remains of the snow blower engine.

"No good," he said. "That was they key component next to the propeller. If we want any hope of rebuilding this plane, we'll have to find another motor somewhere."

So they looked.

The prison building was small, and there weren't many other rooms besides the cells, a small cafeteria and a few offices near it. One such office was cleaner than the rest; most of the furniture was pushed to the side to make room for a pile of blankets and a pillow in the corner. The desk had small patches of dust on the edges, but the majority of it was clean save for a few splotches of near-dry ketchup and some other food stains.

"Guess this is where Helmy's been living," Kevin noted as he inspected the desk further.

"Helmy?" Edd asked from across the room.

"Yeah." He turned toward Edd. "Because of his stupid helmet, that's what I call him."

"That sounds quite affectionate," Edd chuckled.

"You wanna see how affectionate my fist can get with your face?"

Edd stopped talking.

A sudden, low rumble directed the two boys' attention toward Ed, standing near the door and clutching his stomach.

"Oh, I'm hungry," he chimed. As if it was contagious, Kevin and Edd both felt their stomachs rumble as well.

"I guess we'd better find something to eat," the latter suggested. "Besides, I'm still in the dark about what is happening. I see no better time to fill me in as I fill myself up," he chuckled again.

In the cafeteria, the boys went through the already-broken-in door of the pantry to see a few dusty but large cans of beans and vegetables on the shelves beyond. The beans had gone bad, a testament to how long the place had been abandoned, Edd remarked, but the vegetables were dried and they found some white rice further back in good condition.

The building did not have running water, but the boys found a few canisters in the pantry and with the help of an old stove and a carefully-placed PK Fire, they made a sort of thin rice and vegetable stew.

The meal was a bland, but filling. Kevin told Edd everything that had happened since he left Peach Creek; finding the journal, having it stolen by a Spiteful Crow, finding the place of crystal—the Crystal Clearing, he had decided to call it now that he was sure it was real—meeting Ed, and rescuing Sarah. He showed Edd the mirror and the journal, the latter of which he took more of an interest to.

"This book contains information about PSI?" he asked.

"Yeah," Kevin replied. He took the journal and opened it to a page near the back, and said, "I think you might like this part."

The page had few words, but in their place were numerous mathematical formulas, diagrams and notes scribbled and scattered around it. Edd was almost immediately drawn in, pushing aside his bowl so he could get closer to the book.

"Have you a pen and some paper?" he asked, not diverting his fascinated gaze from the book. "I want to work some of these calculations out. My, this is fascinating!"

"I'll see if I can find some," Kevin replied. He got up and headed back toward the offices. He skipped past Helmy's room and went into the one next to it. It was dusty, but there were a few forms on the small desk in the middle.

And next to the forms was a phone.

Kevin jumped toward it with a gasp. He reached a hand out to grab it, but a sudden thought made him freeze. What if it didn't work?

The boy felt shivers of anticipation and distress tingle up his spine. Gingerly, he grabbed the black, dusty phone and slowly brought it up to his ear.

No dial tone.

He slammed it back on the plastic receiver so hard that it cracked. He ripped out a drawer and found a few pens inside of it. He took all of them and grabbed the papers on the desk by the middle, the feeling of them crumpling in his grip being of little comfort.

Kevin dumped the wrinkled papers and pens on the table in the cafeteria and slumped into his seat.

"Is something the matter?" Edd asked, picking out a pen that had landed in his bowl and putting it aside.

"Phones're out," he muttered. "I haven't called home in days. Oh, Mom," his voice trailed off.

"I'm afraid the landline to this place must have corroded a long time ago," Edd explained. "But if it's any consolation," he continued, neatly folding up the papers and putting them and the pens into his pocket, "I think I've figured out a way we can traverse the desert."

"How?"

**~ααα~**

Scraps collected. Furniture dismantled. Unneeded winter clothes taken off and cut. Supports assembled. Fabric sewn together. Calculations done. Adjustments made. Bike found, swooned, comforted and attached. Supplies gathered: Extra cans of food, water, clothing, blankets. Map in the office studied. Parts assembled. Integrity and stability checked out. Exit building.

Kevin pedaled hard. The clouds had parted, revealing the scorching desert sun. The light above didn't reach his eyes. Edd and Ed sat on the back, holding on, the former trusting his ingenuity wouldn't fail him and the latter letting his tongue flap in the wind.

The contraption sailed over the sand, the wheels of Kevin's bike hardly touching the ground. Edd's modifications to the bike suspended large wings of fabric and wood over it, lifting the bike and its passengers up whenever it got up to speed or hit a gust of wind in the right direction. The wooden propeller spun rapidly behind them, having been cut down to size with a kitchen knife to lower its weight and cut away the damaged parts. It managed to propel the boys along as Kevin gave it all his energy.

The three glided across the desert quickly, catching air as they jumped over sand dunes and making the occupants' stomachs rise up inside of them. The air was hot and dry, but the boys were shaded under the wings and the wind helped cool them off.

It was fast and convenient, but exhausting. After a while, Kevin and Ed had to take shifts pedaling, but nobody complained. Ed was too busy enjoying the ride while Kevin and Edd talked about PSI. Edd had gone through and read the book from cover to cover, and, using Ed's back as a surface to write on, had experimented and tinkered with many of the formulas he'd seen earlier.

"According to this one," he said, pointing at an equation that just looked like a jumble of letters and symbols to Kevin, "you can gauge how much PSI Energy an ability uses by measuring the number of Joules of energy it creates. And this one measures it by the intensity of the light it gives off!"

Kevin yawned, the memories of Science class in the morning reminding him of how well he could always sleep through the teacher's lecture.

Ed yawned too, and only then did the three boys notice that the sun was beginning to set and the air was beginning to cool. Deciding to rest for the night, they stopped and untied Edd's backpack of provisions from the wing frame. Edd, silently praising his preparedness, lifted up two makeshift latches on either end of the wings and the fabric came off.

The night grew very cold, but Ed easily conjured a fire on a small bush nearby and the boys' makeshift sleeping bags were literally made of coats and blankets. After another meal of rice and vegetables, the boys bundled up and slept under the clear, starry sky. Two of them huddled together and fell asleep quickly, as though they were used to the subtle awkwardness of sleeping outdoors without a tent. The third, however, gazed in wonder at the enormous world around him.

Had it not been for his two friends next to him, Kevin would have thought he had already fallen asleep a long time ago.

**~ααα~**

Another day of travelling passed. Both Kevin's and Ed's legs became very sore from pedaling. The initial excitement began to wear off as aches and pains began to settle in. Edd once volunteered to pedal, but he could barely get the bike moving.

Along the way, they began to spot desert wildlife around them. Occasionally, a lizard or two would sail past them. Then they saw a few _larger_ lizards go by.

And then they passed by a lizard the size of a small car. It chased after them.

"AAAUUUGGHH!" Edd screamed. Kevin pedaled harder, but the behemoth managed to catch up to them. He veered hard to the right. The lizard's jaw snapped shut right where the contraption had been a moment earlier. Ed was the first to jump off of the bike and run around the lizard to get its attention.

"You keep my bike safe," Kevin ordered Edd as he stopped the glider and joined Ed. With a shout of "PK Riding!", he unleashed a wave that knocked the creature back a couple of feet. The multicolored strands of energy zipped the lizard, but it still had the strength to give a roar-like hiss and continue attacking. It swiped at Kevin, knocking the boy back into a dune of sand.

Ed, partly thinking strategically and mostly annoyed by the sudden hot sun beating straight down on him, cast PK Freeze at the creature's legs. By the time the lizard noticed the boy had run a full circle around it, binding its feet together in ice. It almost effortlessly broke free, but Ed had bought just enough time.

"PK Flash Beta!"

In a blinding flash of light, the creature vanished.

"Guh." Kevin slouched, cradling his head in his hand. "That took a lot out of me."

"Wh-what was th-that?!" Edd asked, shocked. His mind nearly refused to process what he had seen. What he had heard. What on earth was going on.

"That," Kevin replied, panting, "is what we gotta deal with from here on."

And they did.

The soreness of Kevin's and Ed's legs became acquainted with soreness in their arms and minds. The three's travels became more and more interrupted with encounters with not only large lizards, but with scorpions and other deformed desert creatures with a thirst for blood. Edd stayed behind for most of the fights; without PSI or a weapon, he was no more than dead weight, according to Kevin. He made good work of protecting the glider, though, and observed the battles with wonder among the fear.

Another night passed. The last can of dried vegetables was eaten, along with the second-to-last canister of water. Even with Kevin's precaution of encasing all three boys within a dome-shaped shield, two of them hardly got any rest. All around them they could hear the sounds of large somethings scuttling through the sand and the clicking of who-knows-whats off in the distance. The third, however, listened in wonder at the exciting world around him.

Had it not been for his two friends next to him, Ed would have thought he had already fallen asleep a long time ago.

**~ααα~**

The third day came and went. Fatigue began to wear on the boys, slowing their movement both when travelling and fighting. Ed soon filled the role of doing both, his finite stamina supplemented with a seemingly infinite will to keep going. Edd began to take an interest in the desert around them, noting any landmark they passed by and carefully observing the flora and fauna that gradually grew to look and act as if they had come from one of Ed's own comic books. Nightfall came once again, refusing to be ignored as it seemed to yank the heat out of the air until the boys had to camp once again. Two of them fell asleep almost instantly, their fatigue overpowering everything else. The third, however, pondered in wonder at the strange world around him.

Had it not been for his two friends next to him, Edd would have thought he had already fallen asleep a long time ago.

**~ααα~**

Finally, at noon the next day, the boys found something that didn't want to attack them. Its gleam was impossible to ignore. Ed stopped the glider just in front of a pool of water.

"Oh my," Edd remarked as the boys gladly but gingerly got off the bike, rubbing their rear ends to combat the soreness. The pool in front of them was perfectly round, at least twenty feet in diameter. It almost seemed man-made, but it had no border of any sort. The sand around it cut off almost perfectly when it reached the still, glistening water.

"Is it a mirage?" Ed asked, not wanting to jump into the water and find out that it was just sand all along like in the cartoons.

"I don't think so," Edd replied. "Mirages occur because of the distortion of light in the distance." He knelt down and gingerly flicked the surface of the pool. "I wouldn't rule out the possibility of heat stroke causing delusions, but I doubt that this is the case if we're _all_ experiencing the exact same thing. It is most certainly peculiar, seeing a pool so perfectly rou—Kevin!"

Kevin sat up from the edge of the pool, wiping water from his mouth as he gulped. "What?"

"Do you know how much bacteria this water could contain?"

"Looks fine to me."

Edd opened his mouth to argue, but only felt his hot breath sapping what remained of the moisture on his tongue. The sun beat down on his black hat and pale skin. The water before him glistened in the light, almost perfectly reflecting his sweaty face above it. He felt a sudden spray on his face as Ed jumped right into the pool.

"Come on in, guys!" Ed shouted.

"Well, I guess a little swim couldn't hurt," Edd admitted. He briefly considered taking off his clothes, but he pretended to lose his balance and fell into the pool anyway.

Kevin, shrugging, took a few steps back, smiled, and flipped through the air to land in the pool with style.

Cool water suddenly enveloped him, blocking out the sounds and the light of the day above. It blocked out all the light, he found out when he opened his eyes. Kevin found himself swimming in pure darkness. In a sudden panic, he coughed a little and felt the air bubble pass down his chest. He reoriented himself and desperately swam where he figured to be up. He swam upward for much longer than he had been going downward. His heart began to pound. His lungs begged him for air.

Kevin suddenly broke through the surface. Taking in a gasp of air, he turned to see Ed and Edd in the pool next to him, wearing expressions of dumbfoundedness and surprise. He looked up, and saw that surrounding the pool was no longer dunes of sand.

But a town.


	24. The Strange Town of Pomegranate Pool

**Chapter 24**

* * *

"Oh, let me help you."

A hand found its way into Kevin's view as he floated in the water. He absentmindedly took it, his attention focused on the fact that he wasn't drowning anymore. As a man pulled him out of the pool, he no longer felt the scorching heat of the desert on his face. The man helped pull the two Eds out after him. The three sat on stone mosaic bordering the pool, which was the centerpiece of a small plaza. Around them were buildings, not a single dune of sand in sight.

And then Kevin realized that his bike was gone.

"My biiglblblll!" He dove right back into the pool, shouting the whole way. His eyes were closed but he could feel the darkness wrap around him as he thrashed around. His lungs suddenly throbbed, as if to berate him for not taking a breath, and he shut his mouth. The panic of drowning almost—but not entirely—began to replace the panic of leaving his bike behind, and he swam frantically in whatever direction he felt was up.

He eventually found the surface, nearly gasping for air before he even broke through it. He took in a giant gulp of glorious, wonderful air. When he felt oxygen flowing through him again, he went back to his panicked hyperventilating. He wiped the water away from his eyes and noticed that he was back in the desert. The Eds, the man, and the buildings were nowhere to be found, but his bike stood next to the pool untouched.

When his heart resumed beating, his capacity for thinking rationally begrudgingly began to come back and he wondered for the first time what the heck just happened. He turned as he heard a splash and the sound of someone gasping and saw Edd appear next to him.

"Oh… Oh," he panted, "Oh my."

Ed popped up between the two boys, also gasping and sputtering.

"What… what was that?" Kevin asked, feeling the desert sun already starting to dry his hat.

"I'm not sure," Edd said as he regained his breath, "but it was awfully rude to leave that man behind like that."

"I'm hungry," Ed whined softly, rubbing his arms. "And tired."

"Well, at least my bike's safe," Kevin sighed, climbing out of the pool. "Let's go back and see if we can't find an inn or something."

"You do realize that we came there through this perfectly circular pool in the middle of the desert," Edd muttered. "You don't think that's a bit strange?"

"To be honest Double-D," Kevin replied, "I don't think I know what 'strange' is anymore." He felt around the contraption to find where the glider frame attached to his bike. "I just want a bed and something to eat besides rice and beans. I'd even have some of Rolf's squid meat if I could." He stopped for a moment to wonder where Rolf was, but said nothing as the Eds came up behind him.

After removing his bike from the glider frame to take it with him, Kevin, Edd and Ed each took a deep breath and jumped back into the pool. Despite thinking he knew what to expect, Kevin couldn't shake the sudden panic that tingled through his body as he swam through the black but warm void. He struggled to swim with one arm while he held onto his bike with the other, but he suddenly felt it move more easily. Though he couldn't see, Kevin could sense Ed grasping the bike and swimming with him. He took comfort in knowing that he wasn't as completely alone as he suddenly felt.

The darkness suddenly dissipated and the three found themselves swimming back toward the surface, regardless of what direction they felt they were going previously. With three simultaneous gasps, they burst out of the water.

They were back at the strange town.

The man stood at the edge of the pool, his expression one of shock. "Y-you three can… You're…" His voice trailed off. With a quick shake of his head, his expression softened, and he helped Kevin pull his bike out of the pool. He was a tall man, wearing a white vest over a simple black shirt and jeans. His hair was a short, golden blond that seemed to gleam in the sunlight.

"Thank you," Edd said as he stood up. He leaned over the pool, performing the difficult task of wringing out his hat without taking it off.

"We can what?" Kevin asked.

"You can… well, you three just _appeared_ in the pool," the man explained, staring intently between the boys and the shimmering pool beside them. The water calmed down very quickly, and soon became flat and clear.

"Oh, yeah," Kevin uttered. "We found a pool just like this in the middle of nowhere and jumped in. I guess it leads here, somehow?" He glanced around the area, and asked, "Where are we?"

"This," the man said, turning his body to gesture slightly to the town behind him, "is Pomegranate Pool."

The buildings around them were _random_. Every single one was different, with different architecture, different colors, different everything. They were from many different periods across time, from ancient stone buildings to medieval thatched-roof cottages to contemporary houses. The people were dressed in all sorts of clothing, from contemporary to elegant to primitive, from all sorts of different time periods.

A gentle breeze brushed past Kevin. The air was cool, and it smelled faintly sweet. Small trees stood in circular patches of dirt around the plaza, each bearing dozens of little fruits that he assumed were the town's namesake. The sky above them seemed to shimmer like the water in the pool, rippled with soft, swirling clouds. The sun dipped from the sky, about to sink into the skyline above.

"This is quite strange," Edd said. "I've never heard or read of a Pomegranate Pool, and know map I've seen has ever made so much as a mention of a town all the way out in the southern desert."

"Desert?" the man asked.

"Yeah," Kevin answered, "you know. Sand, cactuses—"

"_Cacti_, Kevin"

"—_cacti,_ whatever, usually really hot."

"I get it," the man replied.

"May I ask your name?" Edd said, shifting a little closer to him. He seemed familiar somehow, but the boy couldn't tell why.

"Oh, of course. My name is Adam Van Fartenshmeer," he said.

Ed couldn't help but let out a giggle, earning himself a weak yet effective warning jab in the stomach from Edd's elbow. Kevin's eyes lost focus for a moment. A sudden feeling of deja vu interrupted his thoughts.

"Van Fartenshmeer?" he asked. "D-do you know a girl named Nazz, at all?"

The man's eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. "You… you know my niece?"

"Yeah, I know Nazz," Kevin said, a strange mixture of hope and excitement overcoming him. "We used to live in the cul-de-sac together."

"Used to?" Adam asked. "I remember visiting a while back—and I think I kinda remember you, if you were the one with that crazy mullet—but I didn't know she moved out."

"Well, it was pretty sudden." His eyes lowered a little. "We all had to move out, actually."

"How come?"

"Err…" Kevin tried to think of a story that wouldn't make him have to explain PSI or any of the strange happenings. "There was a sudden infestation of rats and crows."

"Rats… and crows?"

"Yeah, it was pretty bad."

"They had to quarantine the entire cul-de-sac indefinitely," Edd added.

"Oh wow," Adam sighed. "Man, I grew up there. To think they'd shut down the whole neighborhood like that—"

A loud gargling noise cut the man off. Everyone turned toward Ed, who had his arms clutching his stomach.

"Oh, that's right," Kevin said. "We're kinda tired and starving because we've been in the desert for like three days. Do you know where we can get food and maybe some TV?"

Adam smiled. "I think I can find you guys a hotel somewhere. Follow me."

The man led the three boys out of the plaza. The stone mosaic turned into paved road underneath them. Adam led them down the middle of the street, and Edd nearly questioned why until he realized that there were no cars to be seen from anywhere. The residents of the town walked around the otherwise deserted roadways in all directions. None of them spoke to one another. Many wore somber faces, and others looked down as they walked. Some glanced up at the ticking noise Kevin's bike made as he walked it along the ground, but they showed no further interest.

The group passed by a group of young children hunched up against the wall of a building, sobbing and sniffling. When asked about them, Adam sighed, "Let's just keep moving." Ed, however, ignored the man and headed toward them.

In a hushed voice stuttered with sobs, one of the children talked to the larger boy. Kevin, Edd and Adam watched as Ed suddenly picked the boy up on his shoulders, saying something though he was too far away for them to hear, and ran around the street. A tiny smile appeared the boy's face, but when Ed put him down it disappeared. Ed began to head back to the group, but he turned his head and uttered "I'll come back later!" before he got too far away from the children.

"He lost his parents," he whispered as he returned. "All of them did."

"That's not uncommon here," Adam said.

"What is with this place?" Kevin asked. "Why's everyone so… depressed?"

"It's just the kind of place this town is," Adam replied.

They carried on, with Adam asking questions about Nazz and how life at the cul-de-sac was like before everyone moved. As they walked, the warm gloom of the place became more and more apparent. Not a single person had a smile on their face. A few walked around, but most sat on curb of the brick sidewalk or on the porch of an inexplicable building. Some talked with each other, but their voices were somber. Edd had yet to see what even remotely looked like a couple, married or otherwise, but he noticed several people wearing wedding rings. His attention was divided between that and Adam himself. He had seen this man before; not just when he visited the cul-de-sac once upon a time, but something more recent than that. And yet, his name didn't seem familiar at all.

"Ah, here we are," Adam said after a few minutes of walking. The four stopped in front of an odd building—well, as odd as all the others in this place, Kevin thought—that was much taller than those surrounding it. It looked like a large hotel, but it was styled like one from the mid-twentieth century.

"Is this some sort of historic building?" Edd asked.

"Something like that," the man replied. "As you can tell, the buildings here are pretty weird."

"Was the city designer or whatever off his meds?" Kevin asked. Adam simply chuckled.

He said no more as they entered. The building looked like it would have been grand in its day, with a tall, extravagant lobby. However, despite how clean and new it looked, it was completely empty.

"This place seems a little understaffed," Edd remarked. "Um, is this legal?"

"Yeah, think of this as a sort of 'public hotel'," Adam said. "It's not really abandoned, but it's not a for-profit business either. If there's one nice thing about this town, it's that everyone's really laid back."

"Fascinating," Edd said. "I really must find out how I could have missed such a strange place as this on my geography studies."

Adam smiled as he led the children through the lobby and into a large food court. The three boys gasped, nearly breaking down into tears as they saw the glory before them. The walls were all lined with restaurants, the counter of each one filled to the brim with food of all kinds. A delicious aroma wafted throughout the place, of fried meat and fresh produce.

"You guys eat up," Adam said. "I'll handle the bill."

"R-really?" Kevin asked. Before the man could give any sort of answer, he felt a gust of wind brush past him as Kevin and the others zipped toward the buffet table.

Adam had never seen three people pile so much food on their plates and eat every last bite so fast.

**~ααα~**

After the feast, Adam let the three boys up The third floor was as high as they could go before Edd got too exhausted.

"Man, you really need to get some exercise," Kevin said as he pulled Edd up the final step.

"I've—huff—never been good with stairs," the boy wheezed.

Adam led them to one of the rooms and opened the door, already unlocked. The room itself was dated like the exterior of the building, sporting two king-sized beds and a few nightstands.

"It's getting late," the man said. "You should get some rest."

"Late? But it's only noo—" Edd looked out the window on the far side of the room. The sky was now a bright orange, and the buildings were bathed in a golden glow from the right.

"It was way past noon when you guys arrived," Adam explained.

"B-but that's… h-how…"

"Dude," Kevin said, placing a hand on Edd's shoulder, "we came here by jumping in a random pool in the middle of the desert. For all we know, we could be on the other side of the world or something. In fact, where _is_ Pomegranate Pool, Ad—"

He turned to talk to Adam, but the man had already left.

"I guess you'll have to ask him in the morning," Edd said. He turned to see that Ed had already flopped face-first onto one of the beds. "Though it probably isn't the best for my internal body clock, I think an early sleep is just what we need."

He made to go over to Ed's bed, but the boy's odor repelled him. Kevin and Edd wordlessly yet reluctantly agreed to share the remaining bed together.

As he laid down, Kevin wondered if it was Adam the one acting odd, or the entire town. Aside from what his "regular" senses could perceive, he could also feel an unnatural chill in his mind. It felt sad and longing, powerful enough to make it feel as if regret was a tangible part of the very air. Something was definitely wrong about this place.

"Hey Double-D," he said, "you probably can't tell, but to me this place seems—"

"Melancholy and odd?" Edd interrupted. "I feel it too."

"Everyone is so sad here," Ed mused. "Nobody is with anybody."

"Do you think that whatever _thing_ that's causing all of these monsters to appear is causing everyone here to act like this for some reason?" Kevin asked.

"I'm not sure," Edd yawned. "But I'm sure that we can stand to figure it out in the morning."

Already the sky was beginning to darken as the last streams of light waned outside. Kevin nestled underneath the thick covers of the bed, grateful for something soft to sleep on for the first time in days. He felt Edd briefly shift around beside him until the boy was equidistant from Ed and Kevin. The air weighed down on their eyes, the depressing aura making it easy for them to recede into their thoughts and slowly slip away from reality.

Soon they were all asleep.


	25. Dreaming of Nightmares

**Chapter 25**

* * *

_"Kevin? Kevin?"_

_"M-Mom?!"_

_Kevin ran down the street, his shoes pounding and clopping against the asphalt. The woman stood where the road ended, right in the middle of the cul-de-sac. The sky shifted and danced through colors and shapes in rhythm with the boy's racing heart, and a chord of some indescribable sound rang with it. The world seemed to slow as he got closer and closer to her. He ran faster and faster, but the ground wouldn't cooperate. It slowed to a halt just before he was close enough to grab her outstretched hand._

_A glint._

_The world dropped from under him. His stomach lurched, and Kevin felt himself thrust into the air as the ground beneath exploded. Everything burst, all at once. The very reality around him seemed to shatter as he tossed and turned and thrashed around in a panic. Gravity was no longer a concept. The ground wasn't below him as much as it was flying around him in shattered pieces. A roaring, swirling windstorm shook his body and blocked out his thoughts as it twirled and tossed him around in the chaos._

_Kevin felt something warm but metallic slip into his hand, and he instinctively clutched onto it._

_It was his bike._

_Through the torrent of shattered space he managed to pull the contraption closer to him as he struggled to find the seat and handlebars. His stomach was doing somersaults and his mind was racing with panic, but the bike became a source of comfort as he eventually mounted it and felt some sense of orientation on it._

_Another glint._

_Something brushed against Kevin's face. He twisted his body and turned around in midair to see the thing causing the glint slide past his vision. He tried to twist back around, but he had little control over his momentum and ended up turning in another direction. He looked around in the inconceivable nothingness that seemed to swirl and churn around his mind and he found the glint again. He reached out for it, his arm defying whatever laws of space kept his eyes from twisting at the impossible sight, and grabbed it from a depth he couldn't comprehend. He pulled in his arm and looked at what he had caught._

_It was one of the mirrors._

**~ααα~**

_Ed did not know where he was. Where he was did not know him either, so it kindly showed him to somewhere he knew better and went on its way. The boy suddenly dove to the side as a blur zoomed past him. Several more blurs followed, rushing past him in either direction on the sidewalk. Tiny, angry shouts and harsh words silently beat at him as the world moved and shifted around the boy faster than he could keep up with. People were blurs, walking around and going about their day like they were in super-fast motion. The sky was black and the cul-de-sac was dark, but Ed could still make out the shapes of people rushing to and fro, seeming to appear and disappear from nowhere._

_Despite the constant movement, however, the entire place was silent. People hustled and stepped and open and closed doors and shouted tiny but sharp complaints that he could feel but not actually hear as they brushed past him. There wasn't even that gentle ringing in his ears that came when he entered a quiet place, and Ed wanted to scream in the sudden crazy place but nothing came out._

_Suddenly, another person rushed past him, but went slower than the rest. Slow enough for Ed to recognize her._

_It was Sarah._

_Ed immediately turned and, without a second thought, broke into a sprint as the girl walked toward their house at a blistering pace. He burst through the door only to be violently pushed aside as blurred streaks of what he could only assume were his family bustled about. He found himself getting pushed left and right, back and fourth, always getting in the way of someone else until he finally found a small sanctuary in the corner of the living room._

_"…! …! …..!"_

_He shouted and called for someone to listen to him but his very breath seemed to dissipate in the silence. All he could do was watch as everyone rushed past in front of him, the only indication that they knew he was even there being a quarter-second-long pause where they would apparently say something but disappear before he could answer. Ed slid down the wall, sitting in the corner as he tried to sort out his sadness and confusion._

_A note._

_Glowing through the silence, a musical note rang through the air. Ed couldn't tell what pitch it was, but it was soft and light. Another note chimed in and resonated with the first, and then a third, making a wondrous chord. He listened hard, trying to find out where it was coming from. It wasn't coming from anywhere around him that he could see, but it felt close. Very close. Ed looked down at his body, and found the chord glowing around his heart._

_The sound was suddenly cut short, however, and Ed felt a terrible pain jolt through him for an instant. Looking up from the corner, he saw his mother looking down at him, scowling. Before he could react, she disappeared back into the blur of the rest of the world just before it began to shatter apart._

**~ααα~**

_Edd blinked. It didn't take, so he blinked again._

_And then he realized that it wasn't a problem with his eyes; the world really _had_ inexplicably turned monochromatic. There was not a color or hue to be seen in the entire cul-de-sac, not even on his own clothes and skin. There wasn't even any gray to be found. Every conceivable color was either black, or it was white._

_Though it was impossible to ignore this fact, Edd's attention had, for the most part, now turned to the people around him._

_They weren't moving._

_Steps were never taken. Destinations were never reached. Itchy noses were never scratched. The world around the boy was as still as it was bipolar. Silent as it was still. Edd muttered a shy "H-hello?" but it seemed that the sound didn't even carry beyond his mouth._

_He gingerly walked toward his house, not knowing anywhere else that would logically make sense to go in a situation like this. Every step felt like some kind of sin, as if moving was a blasphemy in this world. He stopped as he felt something pierce the back of his neck. Turning around, he nearly fell over in shock._

_Everyone was sneering at him._

_Jimmy, Sarah, Rolf, Nazz, the Kankers, Jonny, even random other people who he knew or not all had their heads turned to face him. They showed no signs of motion, but Edd could feel their contemptuous gazes physically piercing through his being._

_Edd slowly backed up, too afraid to turn back around. He suddenly stumbled backward with a great, silent yelp. He made to scramble back to his feet, but something gave way and caused him to fall back down. He looked at his left leg, and to his horror, he found it lying limp on the ground. He tried to move it, and found that it no longer had any bones._

_Without visibly moving, everyone was approaching him. Getting closer, closer, right before Edd's eyes even though he couldn't actually _see_ them move. Edd managed to get onto his one good leg and hop backwards up the steps to his porch. The sudden feeling of a doorknob on his hand turning without protest became one of the most serendipitous things he had ever experienced, and he slipped inside and locked the door just before the motionless crowd reached him._

_Inside his house was just as unsettling as outside, in that the familiar colors he had grown so accustomed to were now completely gone. Something caught his eye, however. Something that actually _was _in color._

_It was a sticky note on the wall._

_Its pale yellow made a sick contrast with the rest of the world. The fact that it was the only one in what was normally a house with walls carpeted with them unnerved him a little, but Edd took it as some sort of clue as to what was going on and boldly approached it by hobbling on his good leg._

_**Dear Eddward,**_

_**Love, Mother.**_

_Letting out an inaudible "Huh?", Edd looked at the note again. And again. And then he looked up, where he let out an inaudible scream._

_Jonny was standing in his open doorway, scowling, along with everyone else._

_Edd took a step back. Everyone else took no step forward. Edd took another step back. Everyone else didn't move and grew closer. Another sticky note appeared on the wall next to the boy. He picked it up like a newborn child._

_**What love?**_

_He dropped it like a newborn child whose head had just spun around._

_Another note._

_**Do you see any love here?**_

_Another._

_**Love is just a word.**_

_Edd felt the terrifying feeling of a corner of the room pressing against his back._

_**Words are not love!**_

_The crowd grew closer._

_**Words are ugly little things.**_

_Closer._

_**Like your head!**_

_Edd could see the black veins in Jonny's eyes._

_**Your ugly little head!**_

_And then reality began to crumble._

**~ααα~**

_Kevin gazed at the mirror in his hand. He saw himself in it. His reflection was not hurtled in a torrent of broken space like he was. To his surprise, his reflection was staring back at him from the mountain where everything was made of crystal._

_Suddenly, he felt his bike shift from under him._

_"E-Ed?"_

_The large boy was clutching onto the rear wheel of Kevin's bike, his other three limbs flailing in the madness around him. Wordlessly, terrified, Kevin let one of his hands free from the bike's handles and used it to grab Ed's. He managed to pull the boy onto the back of the bike with him._

_Before they could say anything, another glint caught Kevin's attention out of the corner of his eye. Once again, he took the risk of reaching into impossibility that substituted for space around him and he pulled the source of the glint closer._

_It was the second mirror._

_Kevin and Ed both gazed into it, seeing their reflections in the cave with the glowing plants. Ed gasped as he saw Sarah's face behind theirs, but when he turned around he saw nothing. The mirror suddenly moved in Kevin's hand, and it shifted and turned until it was lined up with the first one. The two mirrors merged with each other, forming a wider one. The outer edge was perfectly round, just larger than a quarter of a circle and the other two jagged edges were as long as Kevin's forearm._

_A screech._

_The two clamped their hands over their ears as a terrible noise blasted around them, drowning out the previous rumbling sound. It whirred and whipped around the bike and seemed to toss it around until the boys had to struggle to hold on with just their legs. A strange air of familiarity tickled Kevin's mind for a moment but quickly vanished when the bike suddenly jerked upward._

_The screeching suddenly stopped, and Ed and Kevin looked behind them to see Edd clutching on the back wheel of the bike._

_"Double-D!" Ed shouted as he grabbed for his friend._

_"What is going on?!" Edd shouted back over the rumbling._

_"If I knew, I would've told—" Kevin suddenly cut himself off._

_A glint._

_Another glint._

_A third._

_A fourth._

_A fifth._

_The three looked around them as five glints appeared in the undefinable space they were in. Kevin reached out for the nearest—or what appeared to be the nearest—one, but before he could grab it it disappeared._

_Everything disappeared._


	26. Town of Misery and Death

**Chapter 26**

* * *

_"Wake up! Come on, you three, wa_ke up!"

Kevin awoke with a gasp. The sight of Adam's face was suddenly foreign and strange to him. Ed and Edd lay beside him, awoken in a similar state of mind.

"Are you all alright?" Adam asked.

Kevin simply stared at the man in a blank stupor. His thoughts churned slowly in his head, like gears of a machine just starting up. He waited to forget the dream he just head, for it to fade into his memory like all the others, but it didn't. It refused to be forgotten.

Just as Kevin realized that the man before him had asked a question, he heard Ed utter a soft, "I… I'm okay. I think."

Kevin sat up, automatically placing a hand to his temple. "A-am I the only one—"

"Nope. I had it too."

Kevin turned toward Ed and Edd, both looking back at him with looks of empathy. A sudden flurry of thoughts and emotions brushed against Kevin's mind, and he realized that they weren't his own.

"What on earth happened to you all?" Adam asked.

"W-what do you mean?" Edd asked. His words echoed in Kevin's mind seconds before the boy actually said them. Kevin recoiled mentally, and he felt Edd's thoughts fade.

"I came to wake you three up for the day. You were all moaning and moving around in your sleep, and you were_glowing_."

"Glowing?" Edd repeated.

"When I came back into the room, you three were giving off a strange light, white. I wasn't sure what to—"

Adam's voice was cut off when Kevin nearly tackled him to the ground.

"Where's the phone?!" the boy gasped, his eyes wide open and manic. He stood on the bed to be face-to-face with the man.

"A-a ph—" Adam's face sank. "There… aren't any here," he sighed. His words were slow, as if he was reluctant to let them out of his mouth. "Pomegranate Pool doesn't have any sort of modern communications system, I'm afraid."

"A-are you sure?" Kevin asked, his panic turning to desperation. "Are you absolutely sure?!"

"I am."

The boy growled and thrust his fist into the air, but caught himself just in time before it could be thrown into Adam's wincing body. The frustration made standing still the most sickeningly horrible feeling he'd ever felt, and he stomped on the ground wildly and shouted at the ceiling.

"Kevin, please!" Edd called. The boy stopped, but he continued his shout until it shrank to a groan, and then a frustrated sigh.

"Sorry," he mumbled. His legs suddenly wobbled, feeling like jelly, and he collapsed back onto his bed. "I… I just really want to call my mom," He sighed as he attempted but failed to keep his eyes from getting misty. "I've been gone for like a week. She's probably really worried about me." The room grew quiet after that for a while.

"When's breakfast?" Ed asked, his rumbling stomach becoming the ultimate of his concerns.

Adam's face lit up. "All day, every day!"

**~ααα~**

If Ed was thinking or feeling anything when they first walked in the food court, it was replaced completely with pure joy as he piled heaps of buttered toast on his plate while keeping a nearby gravy boat in his sight.

Kevin and Edd were less enthusiastic, but it didn't stop them from piling another generous helping of food on their plates.

"I'm still having trouble wrapping my head around the idea of a 'free hotel'. At least, one of this grandeur," Edd said between bites of a bowl of diced fruit. "Then again, few things in this place seem to make sense anyway."

"Maybe they make all their money off this food court," Kevin suggested. Turning to Adam, he added, "Are you sure you don't mind paying for all this?"

"I can afford whatever you guys manage to wolf down," the man replied quickly. "Now, tell me about what happened to you three back there."

"I can't really describe it," Kevin answered. "I had a nightmare, but it was a different kind of nightmare than anything I've ever seen before. And apparently these two had the same deal."

"It was a different fear altogether," Edd added. "It wasn't frightening in the sense that someone or something wanted to hurt or kill me—it was more scary in that it was, for lack of a better way to describe it, raw _truth_. Like my flaws were being waved right in front of me."

"And then we three became one," Ed said. "We shared the nightmare together!"

"That's very strange, indeed," Adam said. "It's not abnormal for people to get nightmares in this place, but I don't think anyone has ever had a nightmare where their bodies glowed and they began sharing the dreams of the people sleeping next to them."

The four grew quiet again as they ate. The sounds of other people picking up plates and clinking utensils on them as they ate kept the room from being silent, but there were no voices to be heard.

"…So, what's wrong with this place?" Kevin asked, the lack of talking getting on his nerves. "Why's everyone so depressed and stuff?"

"It's always been this way, from what I can tell," Adam said. "It's just one of those kinds of towns."

"Did some kind of disaster happen here?" Edd asked, gesticulating at the many sad faces around them.

"Technically, no."

"Is there some kind of poverty issue or something?"

"Not really."

Edd stared at the man. "Well, surely _something_ must have happened here at some point! You have electricity, food and water, yet you don't have telecommunications, however I can infer that the economy of this place must be at least fairly stable to allow for a _free_ hotel. This just doesn't add up! This place just doesn't _make sense_!"

The man sighed, scratching the side of his head. "I don't fully understand this place myself, really." He perked up, and quickly added, "But I'm more confused at just how you three even got here."

Edd opened his mouth and raised a finger in the standard preparation to give an explanation, but he merely paused as none came to mind. "I don't fully understand that either. The pool apparently acts like a portal or a gateway to the desert, but it must certainly be a supernatural one, because there is just no way else it could lead to a town like this if this place was hidden nearby, or underground, or…" The boy rose out of his seat. "Surely _someone_ must have noticed that the centerpiece—if not the very _namesake_ of this town has accrued such anomalous behavior! Has no one ever just thought or decided on impulse or whimsy simply to jump into the blasted thing before? Or are they all just too inexplicably depressed to discover that a portal linking this place to another point on the globe lies just down the street?!"

"Geese, Double-D," Kevin said, "calm your hat."

"I… I will not!" Edd poised to slam his palms down on the table, but thought better of it and simply threw his arms down at his sides instead. "I can handle psychic powers turning out to be a proven science, even a quite logical one on the surface, but this place just has no _rhyme_ or _reason_!"

"Psychic powers?"

"Come on!" Edd began to storm away from the cafeteria. "We clearly do not have the whole picture here, and I cannot rest until I understand a little more of it."

"Where are you going?" Kevin asked, raising from his seat along with Adam.

"To the pool, of course! Unless the Scientific Method inexplicably doesn't work here—a possibility I almost might consider in light of the myriad other gaps in logic this place possesses—then I can ascertain the finer details of the portal's function, should any exist. If not then, then at the very least I could possibly enlighten the populace of its existence!"

Adam made to follow Edd, but Kevin stopped him. "Don't you need to pay?"

"Oh, right."

Kevin watched the man change course, heading back toward the heart of the food court as Ed begrudgingly rose from his breakfast feast and followed after Edd. Giving Adam one more look, Kevin turned to follow his friend himself.

Edd stormed down the road as the two caught up and began walking alongside him, his gaze set firmly down the road where the pool lay. They passed by office buildings, apartment complexes, suburban houses, theaters, mud huts, and playgrounds, all lined up along the road as if they were plucked from a time and place at random and moved there. The road around them slowly began to morph from asphalt and pavement to ornate stone mosaic as they neared the pool.

"Are you really that weirded out by this place?" Kevin asked. "I mean, yeah, it's _weird_, but you handled the whole 'me and Ed with psychic powers contacting you telepathically' thing pretty well."

"It's not just the nonsense of this place that's irking me," Edd responded coldly. "I'm beginning to lose trust in Adam. He is clearly hiding something from us, most obviously something pertaining to this place and its noted strangeness."

"Dude, he let us eat and sleep at an old-timey five star hotel for free," Kevin argued. "If he can't explain this place, then quit whining!"

"I'm not whining!" Edd shouted. "It's not an issue of whether he _can_ explain what's going on here! He's most certainly withholding information of some sort!"

"But aren't we too?" Ed asked. The question seemed to poke a hole in Edd's temper, as he deflated with an exasperated sigh.

"That is true," he admitted. "We agreed that people would most likely be perturbed by the mention of psychic abilities in addition to the new threats plaguing the nation—if not the whole world, from what I've heard. Perhaps Adam knows something about this town that he's not telling us for the same reason."

The pool shimmered before the three boys as they approached it. "Even so," Edd added, "I can't help but feel there's something else. He seems familiar for some reason, but I cannot put my finger on it."

The three stood before the pool, their reflections almost completely still in the pristine water.

"So how are you gonna do science with this thing?" Kevin asked.

"There are several variables we could test for," Edd explained. "For example, if there are more than two of these pools out there—a distinct possibility worth considering—then it might be possible to travel between them, using some variable or other as a selector to choose which pool becomes the destination."

"You really think that?" Kevin asked.

"Well, there's no evidence to support the existence of more pools outside the two residing here and the desert, respectively, but it is worth testing for, as such a possibility for nigh-instantaneous transportation across large distances would be immensely—"

"Lady in the water!"

Kevin and Edd turned toward Ed in confusion. "Like, that one movie?"

Edd followed Ed's eyes to the center of the pool, where a figure began to form underneath the surface. A few seconds later, it sure enough formed into a young woman floating on her stomach. A few moments passed, and just as Kevin felt the urge to jump in and bring her to land, her head jerked up and she gasped for breath. She looked around, and her expression sank as if she knew exactly where she suddenly was. She swam toward the edge of the pool and hoisted herself out of the water.

Edd stared at her, his mouth agape.

"E-e-e-excuse me! Excuse me, miss!" The woman turned to him as the boy scrambled toward her. "H-how did you come to find yourself in this pool right here?"

She briefly gave him a confused look, and then her expression sank even more. "Y-you don't…? I just… I'm… I'm…" She buried her face in her hands, and began to sob.

"My goodness, whatever is the matter?"

The woman continued to cry into her hands, ignoring the boy. Edd made to comfort her, but he felt a hand on his shoulder. He whirled around to see Adam standing behind him.

"Leave her be," he said gently.

"B-but she appeared from the pool!" Edd blathered. "Why is she suddenly crying? I don't—"

"Lily?" a man's voice interrupted, "is that you?"

Edd turned to see that a man had approached the woman. A glint on his hand showed the boy that he was wearing a wedding ring. The lady was wearing one as well. Her sobbing slowed, and she lifted her head from her hands to see the face of the man in front of her.

"E-Earl!" She brightened up almost instantly, throwing her arms around the man.

"Oh Lily, it's been so long!"

"I missed you so much!"

"I missed you too."

The two embraced further. The man was a few inches shorter than the woman, so when he hugged her his head wrapped near her neck. Despite that, the woman bent one leg into the air behind her.

Edd couldn't look away from them. He recognized the way they embraced. It was the same way Nazz's parents hugged. He remembered when he saw them embrace, when they… when they…

_"Now now, p-please d-don't cry, Nazz."_

_"I-I can't!"_

_Edd was trapped in the girl's embrace, the layers of chubby skin on her arms constricting him with surprising strength. He couldn't mind it over her sobs, though. They were at a funeral, after all._

_"He was so nice," Nazz whispered. Her tears ran down the back of Edd's black shirt and onto her arms. "He was so nice and he's gone! I… I…"_

_"I-I didn't know him all that well," Edd stuttered, trying to find a way to break away from the large girl without hurting her further, "but I c-can tell you loved him very much."_

_"I did! I do!"_

_And she hugged him all the tighter._

_Edd soon gave up trying to get away from her, deeming it a selfish thing to do anyway, and looked on at the rest of the funeral. The sun shown cheerfully on the graveyard, but the air of sadness made everything seem to lose luster. He couldn't see the man in the closed casket as it was lowered into the ground, but he saw everyone he knew and even more that he didn't all dressed solemnly in black. Nazz's parents were standing closest to the burial, hugging in a peculiar way…_

Edd snapped back to reality, his gaze finding its way to Adam's face.

"Y-you," he mumbled under his breath. The man didn't hear him.

"Shall we?"

"Yes. As long as I'm with you, I'm ready."

Edd turned his attention back to the couple, who held hands as they turned to face the pool. Before he could inquire as to what they were "ready" for, the two jumped in, and quickly disappeared into the depths of the water.

Edd almost immediately dove in after them.

He returned a minute later, thrashing around in frustration. "What is going _on_ here?!" he screamed.

"What happened?" Ed asked.

"Nothing! They didn't appear at the pool in the desert, but I did! It just doesn't make sense!"

"The pool doesn't work like that," Adam explained.

Kevin turned toward him as Ed helped Edd out of the pool. "Wait, do you know how this thing works, then?"

The man reeled. "Er, well…"

Kevin clenched his fists. "Double-D's right. You _are_ keeping things from us."

"E-excuse me?"

"Spill it! You're not telling us the whole story here!"

"Well, I—"

"Spill it!"

"I—"

"If I may interrupt," Edd said calmly, stepping between the two, "I must ask: is Adam a nickname, perchance?"

The man blinked. "Y-yes, it is, actually. My real name is Vladamir, but I never really liked it. It's spelled with an "A", so "Adam" is part of it."

"I see," Edd stated. He took a few steps away from the man, and went still, facing away from Adam. With a whirl, he turned around and pointed dramatically at him.

"Impostor!"

Kevin and Ed both gasped, the former from confusion and the latter from sudden excitement.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Years ago, on one late August day," the boy told, "I attended a funeral with my friend, Nazz. While I don't remember much due to my early age at the time, I never forget a name, and the name of the man in the casket was her 'Uncle Vladdy'!"

Adam looked at the boy with wide eyes. Ed and Kevin both darted their attention from one to the other, not knowing what to make of what was going on. To Edd's surprise, however, the man's expression turned into a soft one, and he lowered his head in a gentle smile.

"Heh, I never liked it when she called me that." His face then grew serious, and he looked Edd in the eyes. "I cannot deny it. Vladamir Van Fartenshmeer is dead. However—and I didn't expect you to get this right—you're wrong on one account."

"Wh-what would that be?" Edd asked, suddenly realizing the haste of his accusation and instantly regretting it. What if this man was armed and dangerous, or had PSI? He couldn't help but tremble a little both in fear and anger at himself.

"It would be that I _am_ Vladamir, not an impostor."

"Then how are you standing in front of us right now?" Edd asked, shuffling next to Ed and Kevin.

"Because," he stated, rather matter-of-factly, "I _am_ dead. Everyone here is."


	27. Town of Healing and Rest

**Chapter 26**

* * *

"Wh-what?"

Edd, Ed and Kevin stood before the man without a reflection, his claim washing over the three of them like a sudden chill in the air.

"Everyone in this town, here in Pomegranate Pool, is dead," Adam explained. "Everyone except you three."

Ed reeled away from the man as if he'd just grown a second head with his aunt's face on it. "You mean you're all _zombies_?!"

"Not quite, Ed," Adam chuckled.

"What—Err… h-how do we know you're not lying?" Kevin stuttered, trying to sound skeptic. He ignored the hypocrisy of what he had said to Edd a few minutes earlier, in favor of making sure that he didn't become _gullible_ just because he knew weird things could happen.

"Have a look at the pool, here," the man said, nonchalantly walking past the children towards the edge of the water. "Tell me what you see."

Without lowering his guard, Kevin stood next to Adam, soon followed by Edd and a cautious but curious Ed. The surface of the pool was almost like a mirror, barely the slightest hint of motion in the water, and it reflected the sun high in the sky and the three boys peering into—

The realization hit all of them at once, and their heads all at once turned to look at the man peering right next to them into the pool himself.

Adam had no reflection.

"You know how when people have near-death experiences, they often say they find themselves in a long, dark tunnel with a bright light at the end of it?" he asked, still staring at the pool. "As it turns out, the tunnel is actually filled with water. And we're standing right above it."

Kevin stared back at the pool, letting the realization sink in as he studied his reflection. He didn't know what to think, but he felt shivers tingle down his spine.

"I-I don't understand," Edd sputtered, "If y-you're all dead, then wh-where—"

"Where are we? We're not on Earth, that's for certain." He spotted a stone bench near the pool and invited the three to sit near him. They complied, putting away any thoughts of skepticism as their curiosity got the better of them, and he continued, "From what I understand, this place is a sort of Limbo. Though everyone here has died—sans you three—we're not… _completely_ dead, really. Before you truly move on into death, you have to come to terms with yourself. You see, when you die, you almost always have regrets."

"Regrets?" Kevin asked.

"Yes. Remorse for what could've been that never will be; children will never know what it's like to be an adult, you regret all of the things you could've been or done in life, face all of your mistakes, and your loved ones…"

"You miss Nazz, don't you?" Ed asked.

Adam sighed, lowering his gaze. "Yes, I do. I miss everyone I once knew. Anyway," he continued—a bit too quickly for Ed's comfort—while lifting his head back up, "this place is for people to let their regrets fade away. Time heals all wounds, and in this place we have nothing but time."

"That's kinda sad," Kevin lamented.

"Don't get it wrong," Adam reassured, "this is a place of healing. Here is where we can relieve ourselves of the pains and sorrows of life. Where people can leave earthly attachments behind and move on peacefully into death."

"Do you have any idea why it's so _random_, then?" Kevin asked.

"I have a theory on that, actually," Adam said. "You see, this place changes over time. Buildings come and go, places form and disappear seemingly in the blink of an eye, all except for this plaza area here. I think that this place is built out of memories; the memories of the people residing here become physical. That's why it's all so random; different people from different times and places all contributed to this place. For example, perhaps that hotel we stayed in came from one of the employees who used to work there, or maybe something important happened there that was significant to someone."

"That makes sense," Edd said. "Our brains are developed to remember spacial relations such as places and buildings and whatever is in them exceptionally well. I'm assuming you can't 'remember up' actual people or anything though, can you?"

Adam shook his head. "Nope. Nonliving things only is the rule, it seems."

"I see." Edd paused for a second. "…You said it was common for people to get nightmares here," he said. "Are they a part of this place?"

"Yes. Nobody here doesn't have to eat or sleep anymore, but they are certainly capable of doing so. When you sleep in this town, your mind goes to face your inner demons; regrets, fears, things like that. Some people gain the courage to overcome these nightmares, and when they do they're ready to jump back into the pool and truly die. Others can take it more slowly, coming to terms with themselves through other means.

"But _your_ nightmares," he added, "those were different. Nobody has ever glowed or linked minds in their sleep, and one's dreams are usually pretty clear. I don't know why yours were so vague, or what those mirrors were, though it might be due to the fact that you're still alive."

"They are real," Kevin said, digging in his pocket. "Those mirrors. I actually have two of them right—"

He gasped as his hand brushed against something icy, nearly yanking it out of his pocket in shock. He looked down and felt for the object again. Prepared for the sensation this time, he pulled it out. It was the mirror.

Everyone looked in awe at it as Kevin held it in his hand. The immediate area around the mirror was dark, as if it was sucking in the light like an inverted glow. When the four of them looked into it, they saw the three boys' reflections clear as day, though Adam's was nowhere to be found. Behind them in the reflection, they saw not the clear sky above, but two different places on either side of the mirror: the Crystal Clearing on one side, and the cave of obsidian and glowing plants on the other.

"Th-they—it—_this_ never did that before," Kevin stuttered. His fingers began to sting from the cold of the mirror, and he gingerly set it on his lap. Surprisingly, he couldn't feel any sort of chill on his legs as it rested on his pants, but the darkness around it made him uneasy.

"That is no ordinary mirror by any stretch of the imagination," Adam said, surprised. "Where on earth did you find it?"

"I… I…" Kevin sighed, and turned toward the man. "I actually have a lot to explain to. Things are getting… weird, back on earth."

Adam sat back down on the bench. "I'm listening," he said. "I'll bet it isn't as weird as what you guys are seeing here."

Kevin smiled slightly. "I'll take you on on that bet." And he explained his story.

**~ααα~**

"…and when we dove in, we ended up here and met you."

Adam had stayed silent throughout the whole thing, his face expressionless as he listened. When Kevin had finished talking, he finally spoke with a simple, "Huh."

"…'Huh'?" Kevin repeated. "That's all you have to say?"

"Well, I'm not sure what _to_ say to that," Adam said. "I believe you—if for nothing but that I can't think of a reason you three would tell such an elaborate tale to a dead man if it wasn't true—but I just don't know what to say. Cruel as it sounds, what happens on earth isn't really my problem anymore. I'm _dead_, after all. It's definitely strange, though." He stood up, and asked, "What do you three plan on doing right now, exactly?"

Kevin shied his gaze away from the man. "Well, we never really had much of a plan other than what was right in front of us. I went to help Ed, and then Helmy threw us in prison so we called Double-D for help, and then we found out we were stuck in the middle of nowhere so we built a glider out of my bike and tried to reach civilization. I guess I just want to get home for the most part, or at least call my mom and let her know I'm alright."

Ed saw Adam's expression soften after that last sentence. "H-how long do people stay here?" he asked.

"That all depends," the man replied. "Most people can get over their remorse in a few months, maybe a year. There aren't many distractions here, and you'd be surprised at how much you're able to think without tiredness or hunger to worry about. And, like I said, confronting your inner demons directly helps."

"But didn't you die years ago?" The man gazed at the tall boy in wonder. "I mean, why are you still here?" he continued.

Adam sighed again, and said, "You're a strange kid, you know that?"

Ed gave a shrug and closed his eyes, and Adam continued, "Alright, I'll tell the truth. I don't just miss Nazz, I…" he paused to let out a sigh. With effort, he continued: "Well, the last time we saw each other, we were fighting. I was mad at her, and she outright screamed at me saying she hated me. And the funny thing is," he gave a weak chuckle, closing his eyes tightly as if to keep tears from forming, "I don't even remember what we were fighting about. It wasn't even important enough to remember, but it caused the fight, and then I had that heart attack on my motorcycle as I drove home…" he buried his face in his hands, suppressing a sob.

"I don't think she's still mad," Kevin assured, "She talks about you sometimes. She'd say things like, 'That's just like what Uncle Vladdy used to do' whenever I'd show off on my bike."

"And she cried for you at your funeral," Edd added. "I think that she feels as guilty about the whole thing as you do. No decent person—and _especially_ not someone as kind-hearted as Nazz—would still be mad after all this time."

Adam raised his head, this time failing to blink away the tears that were forming in his eyes. "A-are you telling the truth?"

"I don't think anyone would be cruel enough to lie like that," Kevin said.

The man stood up, a look of desperation and hope twinkling in his eyes. "Do you three… think you could apologize to her for me? If you see her back on Earth, could you tell her how sorry I am?"

"I'm not sure that would be such a wise idea," Edd stammered.

"Wh-why not?"

"Well, for one, I can hardly think of a scenario in which we could actually convince Nazz that 'A', there is an afterlife—or limbo in this case, 'B', that Kevin, Ed and I have actually visited such a place in the strange way we stumbled upon it in reality, and 'C', that we just happened to come across her late uncle and he says that he's sorry. Nazz is a sweet girl, and while she has fell for the occasional scam or wave of misinformation spread through ignorance like everyone else has, she most certainly isn't gullible enough to believe something like this without some sort of hard evidence."

Adam's face sank. "I… guess you're right. It probably wouldn't be fair for me to ask you guys to do something on Earth while everyone else here just has to deal with their problems on their own."

"Back on Earth you said?" a gruff voice asked. The four turned to see a large man standing by them. Kevin gasped, recognizing the man's bulky frame stressing the seams of a red polo shirt and his thick, brown beard.

It was the man who had given him a ride to Lemon Brook.

"Whoa there, buddy. I don't know what you've overheard, but you've got no business with these kids," Adam said, stepping forward.

The gruff man ignored Adam, turning to Kevin to say, "Kid, you remember me, don'tcha? I gave you and your bike that ride to Lemon Brook."

"I remember you," Kevin replied. The fact that the man was standing before Kevin, standing before him _here_ slowly began to dawn on him. He felt the air leave his lungs in a panic as a shiver went up his spine. Images of Eddy flashed through his head, of the boy's crushed, broken body laying on the ground.

The man had _died_.

He snapped out of his thoughts when the gruff man spoke again. "I thought that those crazy robots or something got ya, and I was going to say hello, but…" His eyes turned toward the pool, where three boys stood in the pristine reflection. "You're all alive, aren't you?" Without waiting for an answer, he pleaded, "Please, get help! Get help to Lime Lake! They took my niece and a boy and they killed me and—"

"Whoa whoa, slow down there," Adam said. "I know that what I asked of them is selfish, but Double-D is right; it's not fair to ask these kids to help everybody—"

"W-wait, did you say 'robots'?" Kevin asked, ignoring his shock as he tried to re-listen to the man's words in his head.

"E-err, well, I guess you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"No, please go on," Edd encouraged. "We're in a pretty believing mood right now."

Skeptic, but undeterred, he said, "Well, yes, at least I think they're robots. They're shiny and metal, but they're also smooth and have strange tentacles for arms!" He wiggled his arms a little to gesticulate. "They broke into my sister's house and took our niece, and when I tried to stop it the thing whipped me aside like a fly and… and…" he paused, clutching his chest. "And it killed me. Stabbed me with its own arm, while holding my niece in the other…"

He paused, breathing heavily as he firmly clutched his chest. "You say it also kidnapped a boy?" Edd asked.

"Y-yeah," he replied. "And his family'd just moved in a few days ago, too."

Kevin perked up. "What did he look like, exactly?"

"I only caught a glimpse of him as we greeted his parents. Small boy, I remember, with puffy hair and a big ol' retainer going around his head."

All three boys grew quiet for a moment as the realization hit them.

"Sir, we'll go to Lime Lake for you," Edd stated.

"Y-you'll get help? I mean, I said I don't like to get into others' business—"

"I think that boy might be our friend, Jimmy," Kevin said. "If he's in danger then we should help. We all have a bone to pick with that 'robot' anyway."

"There's more than one of 'em," the man warned. "They have an entire base built on the outskirts of town, a big, looming tower filled with them and who knows what else!"

"If I can find a head honcho to beat the snot out of, even better."

"Wait, you're not thinking of going yourself, are you?" The man gasped. "That's suicide!"

"Don't worry, dude," Kevin said. "I didn't tell you everything about me on the car ride over. Trust me, we can handle ourselves."

"Do you three need anything?" Adam asked, turning to the boys. "If you're going all the way to Lime Lake from the desert, you'll need supplies."

"Just some nonperishable food and possibly a map would be appreciated," Edd said.

"I'll see if I can find a compass also," Adam said, and he ran off.

Kevin spent the next few minutes talking with the gruff man. He didn't tell his story again; the two talked about small things, and Edd and Ed joined in. All the while, he couldn't get out of his head the idea that the person he was talking to wasn't living anymore. Adam had died long ago, but Kevin had _seen_ this man but less than a week before. _Talked to_ him. _Been alive_ with him.

A small but irrefutably present guilt clung to his mind and never let go.

Adam came back a short while later, holding bundles of dried pasta, a few water canteens and a strange device.

"I couldn't find a map," he admitted as Ed and Edd grabbed the food from him and packed it in the bag near the bike, "but I did manage to find this." He held out the device to Edd, who took it gingerly with an expression of awe on his face.

"It's a sextant," he said, ignoring a sudden giggle from Ed. "Where did you find this?"

"An old sailor gave it to me as I was looking for provisions," Adam said. "Said that if someone could find use for it, it was better off in their hands. It's interesting how most items here are heirlooms or cherished things. Perhaps the memories that are the strongest are the most likely to come to life in this place."

"The craftmanship on this is amazing," Edd said, peering through the eyepiece. "This can help us find our bearings, but are you sure you couldn't find a map of some sort?"

"I tried, but I wouldn't worry. The only desert even remotely near Peach Creek and Lemon Brook is the Southern Desert, so just travel straight north and you should reach civilization."

"I can't thank you all enough for this," the gruff man said after Kevin finished his story. "When you get to Lime Lake, look for a woman named Michelle. She's tall, has long, black hair and pretty gray eyes. If you find her, tell her that her brother Rick sent—err, no, I guess you can't do that." he scratched his head for a moment, and then continued, "Ah, tell her you're a friend of Rick's and you heard about his death. And please, if you can find it in your heart, bring her daughter back to her."

"Can do!" Ed said cheerfully.

"Double-D, are we ready to head out?" Kevin asked.

"I believe we are, Kevin," he replied.

And with a final goodbye to the two men, the three boys jumped into the pool and were washed away, back to the world of the living.


	28. Running on the Sky

**Chapter 28**

* * *

"You ready, Ed?"

"I am an airplane engine Double-D!"

Ed lay on his belly on top of glider wings, which themselves were reattached on top of Kevin's bike. He faced toward the rear of the contraption, his arms held above his head and tied to a system of ropes and pulleys that pointed them outward.

"I'll take that as a yes." Edd tugged on the rope for a third time, making sure it moved in just the right way. "Now Ed, if you get too uncomfortable or tired, don't be afraid to say so."

"Okey-dokey!"

"He'll be fine," Kevin assured, sitting on the bike seat. "He's Ed, for crying out loud!" He gripped the handlebars and turned them from side to side. The ropes attached to them complied, moving back and forth along the pulley system and translating that motion into Ed's hands. The boy giggled from atop the wings of cardboard and fabric, making Edd smile as he mounted the contraption behind Kevin.

"You can't be too careful," he said. "Even steel will break if you misuse it."

"Well, it was your idea in the first place. Like you said, we'll never make it out of here on the ground in time with all those monsters and stuff." Kevin reached toward a pair of flight goggles hanging around his neck and put them on. They were one of the many provisions Edd had requested before they left Pomegranate Pool. Ed and Edd put on their own goggles as well.

"Let's hope this works," Edd said.

"Let's go, Double-D! I'm ready to blast off!"

Their hearts beginning to race, the two boys exchanged nods and Kevin began to pedal. The wheels scraped against the sand, nearly turning in place, but most of the power was diverted to the propeller in the back. It spun faster and faster until it started pushing them forward. The bike begrudgingly began to pick up speed, the pool of water behind it rapidly shrinking in the distance. The contraption hopped along the ground as it quickly passed over little bumps, but Ed waited patiently for his friend's signal. At last, Kevin spotted a sizable mound of sand and raced over to it.

The glider hit the natural ramp and soared into the air just as Edd shouted "Now!"

"PK Fire Beta!"

All three boys felt themselves jerk forward in a burst of speed. Two geysers of fire burst from Ed's hands like rocket engines. The ropes tying the boy onto the glider held fast, as did the mechanism to keep his hands steady and adjustable. Kevin let go of the handlebars and tugged back on the ropes themselves, causing Ed's hands—and the fire streaming from them—to point upward, forcing the back of the glider to tip down.

The glider never hit the sand again. It soared above the desert, gaining altitude while leaving behind a small trail of fire that quickly dissipated into the afternoon air. Edd and Kevin both felt their stomachs flounder about in a haphazard dance with their hearts, but they held fast as it continued to climb higher and higher into the sky.

"PSI sure can come in handy, don'tcha think?"

"I never thought otherwise," Edd replied. He looked behind him at the fire streaming above the wooden propeller. "How are you holding up, Ed?!"

"I got plenty of fuel, Double-D!" the boy chimed.

The wind rushing past them made it hard to hear, but the goggles relieved their eyes of the constant bellows. When they reached a suitable altitude—just under "too cold high up for Ed's comfort"—Kevin leveled the glider off. The pale gold desert stretched out far below them, but up ahead Edd could see more and more foliage begin to dot the landscape. The initial rush of takeoff began to die down between the three of them, and time seemed to slow to a monotonous yet comfortable pace.

The air grew cold, even with the pillars of flame propelling them along. Kevin kept pedaling to keep the propeller spinning, taking comfort in the warmth his body was generating. Even then, though, boredom began to blot out the rush around him, and he began to retreat to his thoughts.

He gingerly twitched a newfound "muscle" in his mind, focusing on that peculiar sixth sense that he still wasn't used to using. He "extended" his consciousness outward in all directions. Everything turned into a dark mental void, save for two points of light: one right behind him, and one slightly above him.

With some concentration, he focused on the light directly behind him. He felt Edd's head swirling with thoughts; the boy was diligent, scanning the area around them for any sign of civilization. Feelings of wonder were tangled with those of worry and uncertainty, and he was trying to separate them with rational thoughts.

Kevin then shifted his attention to Ed, as the boy emitted a strong "glow" that seemed warm Kevin's thoughts. He felt deeper, and the glow became more clear. It was energy, large but bright and pure, and it was being channeled into the PK Fire little by little. Focusing, he could feel the way the energy was being used. Ed had control over the fire, focusing the blast to exchange heat for sheer force, like putting a thumb over the end of a garden hose. It was beautiful in a way, how it all—

"Look out!"

Kevin steered hard to the right before he even realized that a large flock of birds was heading right toward them. The glider tilted on its side, dipping below the flock and spiraling downward.

Kevin struggled to regain control. He tried to turn left to stop the glider from spinning, but the flames simply caused it to begin tumbling as well.

"Ed, cut the power!" Kevin screamed. The jets of flame stopped, and the glider slowly began to stop turning. However, it quickly dipped into a nosedive towards the forest below. "Okay, go again!"

"PK Fire!"

Kevin tugged back on the ropes as hard as he could. Ed let out a yelp of pain as his wrists were pulled back hard to point the jet of flame upward, but he stayed focused on keeping a powerful stream coming. With the flames pushing against the back end, the contraption reluctantly tilted forward out of the dive, the nose tipping away from the ground towards the horizon.

The glider grew stable once again, but it vibrated the tiniest bit from the three boy's trembling bodies. Kevin stared ahead, daring not to so much as blink, much less lose concentration again.

"I think we should land for a bit," Edd suggested.

**~ααα~**

"Are you sure this is the biggest one you got?"

"Yes, I'm sure. Why would you even need a bigger ratchet than this?"

"Erm, no reason."

"Okay then, that'll be a hundred and thirty dollars and fifty-nine cents"

"Here." Kevin gingerly handed the Allmart clerk his gold card, ignoring the wide-eyed expression that grew on the blonde lady's face. She swiped it through the receiver and it registered with a satisfactory bleep. She handed it back to him along with a lengthy receipt.

As Kevin handed it to Edd to check through, he wondered what an Allmart was doing in such a small town just north of the Southern Desert. Edd had managed to persuade him to buy some supplies for the rest of the trip when they landed, but even he couldn't find an answer. He considered asking her, but he simply thanked her instead.

"So what's this all for, exactly?" the store clerk asked.

In Kevin's hands was a large ratchet and a map of the area. Edd carried three thick, brown jackets while Ed effortlessly held a large tank of propane stacked on top of various sheets of plexiglass and cardboard.

"Uh…Err—"

"A science project," Edd said. "Our p-parents are taking us to… Grapefruit Beck for the… Te-Twelfth Annual Grapefruit Beck Science Fair!"

The woman gave a quizzical look, but then shrugged and smiled. "Good luck, then!"

"Thanks."

"Uh, do you have a phone I can use?" Kevin asked. "I need to call my mo—f-friend."

"Sure," she said, "the Customer Service desk is right over there."

Kevin thanked her as he made a beeline for the black phone on the desk near the checkout aisles. Without asking the man at the desk, he immediately tucked the ratchet under his arm as he reached into his pocket with one hand and picked up the phone with the other.

The ratchet fell to the floor with a loud clang, as Kevin realized he no longer had the small map of Cherry Falls with his parents' phone number on it.

**~ααα~**

Edd had to lug the tank of propane while balancing the other supplies on his arched-over back while Ed carried an unconscious Kevin out of the store.

"Sorry about that," the store's security guard apologized as he put his taser back into its holster. "Usually people scream like that when they're gonna murder someone. He should be fine when he wakes up, though." He turned around, and Ed caught him muttering something about "all the darn kids going crazy these days" as he went back into the store.

When Kevin finally came to, he grumbled a thin apology and had Ed unwrap his jacket from his bike. They walked it down the street that left town and cut through the dense trees. The boy winced at the thick skid marks that striped the pavement, inwardly cursing the store for not selling bike tires. At last they found the clearing on the side of the road that was big enough to hide the dislodged glider.

Edd immediately got to work, both elated at the fact that he had actual fresh materials to work with and disappointed that he didn't need to find a creative workaround like he usually did. He used the cardboard to reinforce the wings and attached the plexiglass sheet above the bike's handlebars before mounting the wings on it. He then used the ropes to attach the propane tank to the top of the rig instead of Ed, and modified the steering controls accordingly.

Kevin, meanwhile, admired the ratchet he had just bought. It was larger than his old wrench, the about two feet in length while the head was thick and heavy. He put it in his pocket, happy to feel the weight of a good weapon again.

When all the modifications were made, the three boys put on the thick, brown jackets and mounted the bike. After walking it out to the road, Kevin pedaled down it, glad to be feeling tires moving them along instead of just the propeller. When they got to speed, Edd pulled a rope that opened up the tank and Ed ignited it from the back of the bike, sending them rocketing forward and into the air once more.

"Alright, Double-D, we have a map. So where are we?" Kevin asked when they reached a comfortable altitude. The plexiglass windshield did its job, reducing the noise immensely and bringing the wind rushing around the boys to a gentle breeze.

"Let's find out," Edd said, pulling out the sextant from one of the bags attached to the underside of the wings. Sandwiched between the two boys, he struggled a little to turn to the right, and he looked through the device off into the horizon. Ed and Kevin watched as the boy tinkered with the slides underneath it and shifted his gaze from it to the map, being careful not to drop either of them from the dizzying height. After a few more measurements, he smiled and turned so they could both see the map.

"We are right here," he said, pointing to a large forest near the bottom of the map, first showing it to Ed and then turning to let Kevin see. "We have to go approximately three hundred and twenty-seven miles north and ten miles east to reach Lime Lake."

"Wait, can I see that?" Kevin asked after he turned the glider toward the north, taking the map before Edd could respond, "…Hey, there's Cherry Falls! Let's stop there for a sec." He pointed at the words for Edd, and the boy shook his head.

"That's way off into the west, Kevin. It'll take twice as long to reach Lime Lake if we take that big of a detour."

"No big deal," Kevin replied, turning casually to his left.

"Um, that is a big deal, actually," Edd said, irritated. He grabbed on of the ropes to reorient the bike to the right.

"Back off! We're going to Cherry Falls first!" The vehicle turned back to the left.

"Kevin, Jimmy and that man's niece need our help at once!" The vehicle turned back again to the right.

"They can wait for a few more minutes." Left.

"Even at this rate it will still take a few hours alone to reach either town!" Right.

"A few hours isn't much!" Left.

"Are you joking? In a dangerous situation like this, life and death could depend on a matter of minutes! How could you do this to our friend when he's in danger like this?!" Right.

"What if my mom's in danger?!" Left.

"We don't know that, Kevin! But we _do_ know that Lime Lake _is_!" Right.

"We're going to Cherry Falls and that's _final!_" Straight.

With a quizzical "Huh?" Kevin turned the handle of the bike again, but the glider didn't change course. Edd realized that there was no longer a firm and smelly surface pressing up behind him, and he turned to find that Ed was missing.

"Jimmy needs our help!" the boys heard through the wind around them. Edd leaned back and saw his friend on top of the glider, manually aiming the tank while his body was tucked loosely underneath a few of the ropes.

"Ed, get down from there! You're not properly secured!"

"Nuh-uh, we gotta get there A.E.S.O.P.!"

"That's A.S.A.P., E—

"PK Fire!"

"—eeaAAHH!"

The two boys both nearly lost their breakfast as the vehicle rocketed forward at an alarming speed. Edd bent far backward, clutching his legs around the bike frame for dear life as he saw three jets of flame firing just above him. He instinctively pressed his hands on his hat to keep it away from the propeller as the acceleration began to die down and he could sit up again.

It was just under two hours when they saw the town of Lime Lake in the distance, overshadowed by a giant, silver tower.


	29. Animate Inanimate

**Chapter 29**

* * *

"Well, _that_ wasn't on the map."

The three boys gazed down at the landscape below them, at the enormous tower that jutted out from it high into the sky. It was shaped like an enormous, conical spike, gleaming a blinding, metallic silver with no windows or openings in sight. It dwarfed not only the largest buildings in Lime Lake, but it even enveloped the grassy mountains and plateaus nearby in its colossal shadow.

"We gotta land soon! I'm running outta gas!" Ed shouted from atop the glider. Sweat dripped profusely down his face, the fire streaming out of his hands a fraction of the intensity it was earlier. The propane tank had already run out, only a few sparks of flame sputtering from it as minute amounts of gas leaked out and ignited. The glider began to descend.

"Alright, Ed, you can stop now!" Edd shouted. "Let's find a road to use as a runw—"

_Boom!_

A wall of sound whipped past the boys like the sound of an enormous cannon going off. Soon after, a screeching, crackling sound came into existence and slowly grew in volume. Following the source, Kevin looked at the tower to see a gigantic, orange ball of electricity speeding toward him. Kevin and Edd instinctively jerked their bodies to the right, and the glider slowly banked and turned away. The projectile missed.

_Boom! Boom! Boom!_

The glider tossed and turned in panic as more missiles twinkled into view from the silver tower, rapidly growing as large and fast as the first one.

"Ed! Can you make us go faster?!"

"I'll try!" Ed tensed his arms and focused as hard as he could. A stronger burst of flame burst from him, pushing the glider fast enough to barely avoid another missile. His mind began to seethe as he squeezed his PSI for every last bit of energy he could muster. His jaw grew sore as he clenched his teeth, struggling to keep his tearing eyes open.

And then the fire stopped.

Ed's vision flickered as his mind blanked out. He tried to muster power. Begged for it. His mind retaliated by sending intense pain through his head. The boy passed out.

Edd and Kevin quickly felt the sudden loss of speed, and shortly after they felt a sickening jolt as one of the energy projectiles slammed into the edge of the left wing. The glider flipped through the air, the wing flapping around burnt, tattered and limp. The boys screamed as they tumbled downward, the onslaught of missiles beginning to stop now that their target was hit.

"Double-D, what do we do?!"

"I-I-I-I d-don't know!"

"Ed, are you okay? Ed?!"

"Oh my god, Ed!"

"Think of something!"

The glider spiraled downward, picking up speed as it went. Edd felt himself rising out of his seat as he turned his attention to the broken wing. Impulse overriding fear, he forced himself to jump from the bike to grab onto the wing's support frame. Ignoring the fact that his heart and stomach were competing to see which could work its way up his throat first, he scrambled around to the top of the glider.

In one hand, he took hold of the ropes binding Ed to the contraption. In the other, he grabbed a rope that was flailing around near the tip of the broken wing, and he pulled the two together. The wing grew taut, and the glider stopped tumbling. Running on pure adrenaline, he managed to tie the two ropes together with trembling hands.

Even though the wind pelted him with chaotic force and noise, Edd paused for a moment to gaze at his unconscious friend. He tentatively pressed two fingers on Ed's neck, and time stood still.

There was a pulse. Ed was breathing.

Time was kind enough to stay still for just a moment longer, to allow Edd to sigh and swallow back the tears.

Kevin tilted and jerked and pulled back on the handlebars of the bike as hard as he could. The glider refused to tilt up from its near vertical descent. The ground was approaching at an alarming rate, and the top of the tower grew higher and higher above them, piercing the sky. "I could use a bright idea here!" Kevin shouted. He turned around to see Edd float from the top of the glider to the back, clinging to the tail end between the propeller and the bike.

"We need something to force the glider out of this dive!" he shouted. "Do you know PK Fire?"

"No! I don't know any PSI that'll—" Kevin paused. "Unless… will this work?"

"Will what work?"

"Please let this work! PSI Shield!"

Kevin's world grew black as he extended his consciousness out into the void. In the space below the glider, he envisioned a wall of solid energy, curved outward like a ramp. His mind buzzed as the vision become a reality. The glider fell straight past it, missing the ramp completely.

"Shield!"

It jerked back downward as the bike's back wheel nicked the edge of a new force field.

"Come on," he said, clenching his eyes shut so he wouldn't have to see the ground charging at them furiously. "Shield!"

The glider jerked, and Kevin yelped as he was pressed hard into his seat. The glider made full contact with the ramp-shaped shield, quickly turning its vertical dive into a horizontal fling. It wobbled left and right. It began to tilt upward, where it stalled and tipped back towards the ground again. It didn't go straight down again, however, and it tilted back upward on its own.

Edd, ignoring the sudden feeling of weight coming back to try and pry apart his white-knuckled grip from the glider, quickly shimmied along the tail until he was closer to the center of the contraption. With some quick trial and error, he managed to find a spot that caused the glider to stabilize. It shakily began to slow down as the flat, grassy ground grew closer at a much less alarming pace this time.

"What the heck just happened?" Kevin asked, his attention turned to the now extremely-massive-looking tower looming above them, gleaming in the abnormally dim sunlight. He pedaled quickly to keep the propeller spinning, now that their main means of propulsion was knocked out.

"We've just been assaulted!" Edd screamed hysterically. "This wasn't just some random passerby inflicted with mad hysteria, this was a coordinated assault! Whomever is in that tower—"

Kevin waited for a second before realizing that Edd had cut himself off.

"Oh my lord."

Kevin turned toward Edd, and quickly saw what was wrong. The two were passing over a crash site. A trench of broken trees and metal lead to the remains of an airliner. Smoke was still rising from the debris.

"I d-don't think they like people around these parts," Kevin said. He immediately tried not to think about how many people had been on that plane, or who they were. He failed. "W-we gotta get out of here. We gotta to find shel—"

"Look out!"

This time Kevin wasn't fast enough to react. Like a dart hitting a bullseye, the glider stuck gracelessly in the large pine tree with a crackly _thud_.

**~ααα~**

"Are you sure that thing even works?"

"What evidence do you have to the contrary? It helped us find Lime Lake from where we were near the desert, after all."

Edd zeroed out the sextant and made his habitual double-check on their position as they walked through the small, coniferous woods. Kevin ignored how tired he was now that the last of his adrenaline had died down as he pushed the bike along, an unconscious Ed sitting with his head on the handlebars and a large pack on his back. The glider had been removed and abandoned, too damaged to salvage according to Edd. Kevin was just happy his bike wasn't damaged, even if he did have to resort to using it as a gurney to carry Ed on. A tingle of fear ran down Kevin's spine. They had managed to save most of their supplies, but the two cans of powdered gravy Ed had so insisted on taking with them were destroyed in the crash.

He would not be happy when he woke up.

At least that would not be for a while, Kevin figured. Tentatively, he expanded his mind outward. He found it hard to concentrate on using his sixth sense while also making sure to watch where he was going, but he could feel his friend next to him. Ed was all but drained, his "light" that Kevin felt was like a smoldering ember; alive, but so very small. Kevin wondered if this was how he was like after he had first used PSI.

He smiled, though; when Ed wakes up, he thought, he'll have one heck of a story to tell people. And while Kevin felt like he never wanted to go on an airplane again, the adrenaline hadn't quite left his blood, and the rush from earlier left a feeling of excitement in him. He would have one heck of a story to tell, too.

"Ah, see? Here we are!" Edd said, his pace quickening as he saw the roofs of houses poking above a large, uniform hedge in front of them. Remembering what happened the last time he entered a new neighborhood, Kevin put his free hand into his pocket and pulled out his ratchet.

They walked alongside the hedge until they found a short lane which led into a small cul-de-sac. As they passed through it, the neighborhood opened up around them, revealing to the boys a wasteland. The houses were in good shape, but the lawns and streets were littered with furniture and appliances and trash. Many of the windows were boarded up from the inside, and some were broken as if something had crashed through them. The entire place was silent and dark, cast within the shadow of the enormous tower beyond.

"What do we do now?" Kevin asked. Edd answered by cautiously walking up the front path of the nearest house, stepping over various furniture and objects and ringing the doorbell. Kevin shrugged and followed behind them, and the boys waited on the porch for someone to answer.

"Wh-wh-who's there?" came a squeaky, frightened voice from the other side of the door.

"Excuse me, but—"

"What do you want?!"

"Do you know a woman named Michelle?"

"What do you want with her?" he spat, a sudden sting of anger permeating his voice. The boys heard several clicks and clacks as the door jiggled back and fourth in rhythm. It opened a few inches before one—several chains on the other side grew taut and stopped it, and a thin face peered through the gap. "Y-you're just children!" he said, his eyes widening.

"Yes, and w—our parents are friends of Rick," Edd explained. "We came to check up on his sister, Michelle."

"This isn't a good place to be right now," the man said. "Err …Michelle's down the road a bit. Her house is number thirty-five fifteen on the left. Get there and get to safety. D-don't tell her I sent you! You never saw me!"

"But we don't even know who—"

The door slammed shut almost after the boys heard the locks quickly reengage from the other side. Insulted, but more confused than, they turned around and headed down the messy, object-ridden street. On several occasions Edd caught glimpses of people looking at the from their windows, only to quickly close the blinds or hide behind the boards. One even motioned a cross in front of him before disappearing deeper into the house, wearing a tragically sympathetic look on his face.

And then Kevin got hit by a lamp.

"GAH!" Kevin stumbled, holding onto the bike for stability as he pressed a hand to where his head got hit. Edd scanned the area to find the culprit, but no one was there. Suddenly, the boys heard a loud scraping noise, and they turned toward a nearby couch on the road. As if something was pushing it from behind, it shuffled along the ground toward them. They backed away from it, and it shuffled faster, and faster, the cushions on it rippling as it to make it look like it was snarling. The boys broke into a run. The couch ran after them, bouncing from left to right in a furious waddle.

Kevin and Edd watched in horror as all around them, the household objects strewn about began to move. Small things like pens and bottles flung themselves through the air, while larger ones found other methods of locomotion in varying levels of animation. All of them were making their way toward the boys, the only other moving things out in the open. It was like something from Ed's comics, Kevin thought to himself. He made a mental note that he should actually start reading them later.

Soon everything grew so animate that the boys couldn't outrun them anymore. A portable vacuum cleaner flung its hose around Edd's leg and tripped him. It tried to drag the screaming boy toward the others, but a sudden smack from Kevin's ratchet caused it to let go.

"Don't even think about it!" he shouted. He quickly realized that he was no longer holding onto the bike, and winced when he heard it tip over and fall to the ground with Ed still on it. The mob of objects began to surround them. "Oh, come on! Shield!"

A protective dome apparated around the the three boys. Small appliances bashed themselves futilely against it, and Kevin allowed himself a moment to rest as Edd struggled to mount Ed back on the bike.

"I could use a hand here!" he wheezed, the weight of the larger boy too much for him to handle.

"Gimmie a sec!" Kevin retorted. Larger objects began beating down on the dome. Sweat dripping down his brow, Kevin layered a second shield on the first. "Alright, that should hold until Ed wakes up and we can bust out of…"

The words died in his mouth as he saw the sea of attackers split apart. Down the newly-made path, two lights blinked to life. Even Edd stopped what he was doing when he heard the sound of an engine revving. The sound of screaming tires pierced the air as a blood-red sports car rocketed toward the boys' makeshift haven.

"Oh crap."

Kevin flinched. The car made to ram into the shield. Instead, it was lifted up on a makeshift ramp of energy that materialized before the dome. The car flew through the air, but it managed to crash into the dome from above and shatter it before it slammed to the ground.

Kevin and Edd stood in the middle of the street, exposed to the army of bloodthirsty things. The car made a swift U-turn, and charged at the boys once again. Kevin widened his stance.

"Alright," he said, his voice rising into a yell as he added, "you all asked for it! _PK Riding_!"

A net of cackling, thread-like energy burst from Kevin in a wave. It harmlessly passed through Ed and Edd, but not so with everything else. Most of the smaller objects completely disintegrated when the multi-colored energy zipped through them, while many of the larger items were cut up. The muscle car's windows shattered and its tires popped, causing it to swerve and miss its target. Undeterred, it furiously attempted to correct itself. The rest of the mob began to recover from the attack as well.

Kevin and Edd quickly helped pick the bike up with Ed on it and they sprinted down the street. Kevin swatted at the smaller objects with his ratchet and blasted the larger ones with his PK Riding, but every felled attacker was replaced by two more.

"Please understand the reasoning for destroying your belongings!" Edd called out around him.

"Dude, I don't think anyone can blame us," Kevin replied, ignoring his racing heart to put on sarcastic face. He couldn't hide the sweat running down his brow, though. "Now how close are we to her house?"

"Oh, let's see… thirty-five seven, thirty-five nine, thirty-five eleven… thirty-five fifteen!" he shouted. The boys turned hard to the left and scrambled up the house. Where a door was supposed to be, there was a large, charred hole covered by a bedsheet nailed to the top. Ignoring all manners and formalities for just that instant, Edd thrust the sheet upward and threw Ed and the bike in. Kevin entered right after, and quickly raised as many shields as he could muster to block the opening.

The blanket covered the shield, but the boys could hear it being pounded upon. Kevin grimaced, trying to concentrate on keeping them strong, but it was like trying to keep water cupped in his hands. However, the pounding grew quieter and quieter as a short time passed, and eventually it stopped altogether. He waited for the kicker, the brute of the group to barge in just as they thought they were safe like in the movies. Time passed. It never came.

He kept one shield up just in case.

"Well," Edd gasped, "I think I've had my share of exercise for the whole—"

"I'll _kill_ you, you bast—!" the two boys jumped as a woman leapt down a nearby flight of stairs, wielding a golf club above her head as if it was a sword. She landed hard on the floor and drew the club back for a hard swing. She had just barely started to swing it when her head tilted up and she actually saw who her intruders were.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Kevin shouted, dropping his ratchet to hold out his hand. The woman stopped her attack midswing, causing Edd to flinch.

"Y-you're… you're children," she gasped, her arms trembling as she lowered her weapon. She brushed her long, black hair from her eyes and rested the golf club against a lively green skirt. She breathed a few short, heavy breaths as she eyed the three of them.

"E-e-excuse me," Edd said, his heart still racing in terror, "are y-you M-miss—er, Michelle?"

"And what if I am?" she asked, a slight Latino accent flavoring her voice. Kevin could see the resemblance to her brother; her arms were well-toned, and her face was shaped with a similar gruffness. Her eyes were gray as Rick had described, and they gazed upon the boys with a strange mixture of fright and compassion.

"Y-your brother Rick s—" he took the moment to pant some more, remembering what the man had said.

"Rick? What about him?" she pointed her golf club at the boy menacingly.

"H-he was a friend of our parents," Edd almost shouted. "They sent us here to check up on his sister wh-when they heard he had died."

Michelle sighed, and gently lowered the club. She lowered her head onto a hand and slumped back to sit on the stairs. "Of course," she sighed. "Well, you can probably tell it's a bad time for visiting."

"What the heck is going on out there?" Kevin asked. Now that the panic had died down, he began to notice that the house was devoid of anything that didn't seem to be a part of it. "Why's everything in this town coming to life with a vengeance?"

"That's the million dollar question," the woman responded. "It just started _happening_, when that damned—erm, that_tower_ just appeared!" She lifted her head up, and noticed the boy lying underneath the upturned bicycle. "My goodness, is he alright?"

"He is in good condition," Edd explained, "just tired. We've had a bit of a long day."

"Well, I can't exactly send you three home back the way you came. Not unless I was as heartless as those _things_." She nearly spat that last word out. "How about we go upstairs," she said more than she asked. The boys complied, and she helped Kevin carry Ed and the bike to the second floor. The upstairs was as empty as the first floor, save for a few mattresses and various boxes of food.

"We have no way of telling what will come alive or not," the woman said. "But it seems that items in a group are more likely to and much harder to deal with, so we all threw out everything but the bare essentials."

"Don't worry, if any of this attacks us we'll be able to handle it," Kevin assured.

"It's a miracle you three even made it here in the first place. Now, if I may ask, what did your parents hope to accomplish by sending you here by yourselves?"

Kevin and Edd hadn't really thought of a way to explain it, so the latter said, "Well, we heard that Rick's niece—or your daughter—was taken from you."

"H-how do you know that?" Her eyes narrowed. "How did you even know that my brother died? The phone lines have been down for days!"

"It's a long story," Kevin said, "but just bear with us."

"Fine," she said begrudgingly, her eyes beginning to grow misty. "So you know about my daughter and my brother. Why do you care? I've never met any of you before. What do you owe me?"

"The person who told us she was taken also described a friend of ours being taken as well," Edd said.

"You mean… that little blond boy?" Michelle asked. "With the retainer?"

"Yes, exactly! We've come for him as well."

"No, don't tell me you're…" she looked at the boys as if they had grown a second head.

"We've come to bring them back," Kevin said. "To save Jimmy and your daughter."


	30. Infiltration

**Chapter 29**

* * *

"_Shh… I think h_e's waking up. Kevin? Kevin!"

"Wake up!"

Kevin's world violently rocked back and forth. His head throbbed in rhythm to the shaking as he struggled to open his eyes. He struggled to move his arms to hold his aching head, but he felt two hands clasped to his shoulders. Relief finally came in the form of Edd telling Ed to stop, causing Kevin to gently sink back to the floor.

After a minute, he sat up, his head still throbbing in rhythm with the irritating lines of light streaking across his vision. He tried to blink them away, but they came back every time he opened his eyes. It took several seconds for him to realize that there were actual lights in front of him.

He stared at a dark blue metal wall, which had a series of angular grooves that formed a web of lines across it. A bright yellow light pulsed through them all at regular intervals, like a heartbeat. Looking around, he noticed that all of the walls were like this, save for the tile floor. They proved to be the only source of light in the otherwise dark alcove the three boys were crouched in. Said alcove was also incredibly cramped, he painfully discovered when he tried to stand and banged his head on the excruciatingly hard ceiling above.

"Wh-what happened?" he asked, his mind scrambling to remember recent events like they were those crazy chickens Rolf made him catch that one time. Well, at least his long-term memory is still intact, he figured in relief—his sanity notwithstanding.

"No time for that now," Edd said in a hushed yet tense voice. "All you need to know is that we can't be spotted. The Starmen are too strong for us to take on many of them at once, and this place is swarming with them."

"Starmen?"

_"They came in the middle of a clear, starry night, descending from the sky. Their metallic skin was like starlight, so very alien. The name "Starman" found its way in our heads and stuck."_

The image of Michelle appeared in Kevin's mind, becoming clearer and sharper as he began to remember the night they had spent at her house. Her face was very expressive; he could clearly remember what she looked like when they said they were going to the tower, how she protested and subsequently yet begrudgingly gave in when she found out about his and Ed's abilities, and how the morning after she demanded that she go with them.

The memories blurred after that. His head continued to pound, and he put up a healing hand to it with only some avail; he was low on PSI. He rubbed the short hair under his cap and felt flecks of dried blood crumble away under his hand. He hissed when his fingers found something wet and sticky that stung his head and sent it pounding again.

Edd meanwhile was peeking out of their hiding spot, nervously checking for any sign of the metal, PSI-savvy humanoids. Kevin soon joined him and saw the alcove was embedded in the side of a wide hallway. The walls and ceiling were of the same blue metal, with grooves that looked like the surface of a microchip as the light pulsed through them. Peering further down, he could see more cubbyholes along the wall theirs was set in.

"Where are we?" he whispered.

"We're in the tower, I think." Edd replied.

"You think?"

Something silver appeared from behind a corner far down the hall, and the two boys quickly retreated back into their hiding spot. All three of them then held their breath as they saw a pair of shiny, metallic legs walk past them.

_"What?" Kevin asked._

_"I said, I'm coming with you three," Michelle answered sternly. "Superpowers or not, you are still children and it would be irresponsible and stupid of me as an adult if I didn't help. Besides, she's my _daughter_, and I am going to get her back with or without you." She took the golf club and smacked the large driver end into her hand._

_"Look lady, we've fought these things before. Ed here rammed one into a burning tree and it barely scratched it!"_

_"And then you fought a giant one and took it out with a few shots from a pistol," the lady spat. "Trust me, I won't_need_ a gun to pay those things back for taking my child."_

_Ed grunted and nodded in agreement, a scared look spread on his face._

_"Kevin, we need all the help we can get," Edd reasoned. "Just because you and Ed have PSI doesn't mean you two are the only ones who can fight."_

_"Yea, because you're _sooo_ useful in battle!"_

_"Excuse me?!"_

_"Enough!" Michelle screamed. "I am coming with you three and that is final. I know where the Starmen are coming from, and it's most likely an entrance to the tower. I can't go by myself because of the furniture, but you can protect all of us until we get there."_

_"Alright, fine," Kevin grumbled. "Where is the entrance?"_

The memory began to fade again. "So, what's the plan?" Kevin asked.

"So far, all we're trying to do is get to the top of the tower," Edd explained. "This place is strange. I can't see rhyme nor reason behind many of the rooms we've been in—to say nothing of the overall structure of the building—but Ed said that the two of you feel something high above us."

"Hmm." Focusing, Kevin sent out the last of his PSI in all directions, feeling everything around him. He gasped at the number of malevolent presences he felt—it was like knowing there was a big spider nearby without actually looking at it, only with dozens of them all around. High up—_way_ high up—he could feel something else. It was something brighter, more pure, and it almost seemed to be reaching out to him. Soon, though, mental exhaustion forced him to retreat, and he shook his head as it throbbed once again.

"I think the coast is clear," Edd said after taking another look at the hallway. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine. I can walk, anyway."

"I'm more concerned with whether you can climb."

"Huh?"

**~ααα~**

_"Are you sure this is where they came from?"_

_"Yes."_

_"I mean, you _saw_ them come through here?"_

_"Absolutely. The only thing that kept me from following them then was because they had my child, and I didn't want to risk being spotted. The furniture chased me off anyway."_

_Kevin looked at the woman, wondering if she was crazy. She would've _sounded_ crazy if they didn't know what she was talking about, but her face was determined, not a hint of any other emotion in it. He turned back to the middle of Lime Lake Central Park, toward a large ring of boulders. In the middle of the rings was a hatch, made of the same smooth, reflective metal that the Starmen themselves were._

_"Why would they pick this of all places to put as the entrance to their tower?" Edd asked._

_"Maybe they like rings of rocks?" Ed suggested._

_"Yeah, that's _totally_ it."_

_"Come on," Michelle ordered, clutching her golf club as she opened the hatch. A small ladder descended down into a dimly-lit pit, and she did not hesitate to go down first. The other three boys followed suit, squeezing into the cramped space at the base of the ladder. They dismounted it to find a cramped tunnel. Edd squinted, his eyes catching a glint off of something blocking the way. It looked like…_

_"…An… eraser?"_

_The cave was dim, but with a careful conjuration of flame from Ed, it grew bright enough to see the obstruction. It was shaped like the back end of a pencil, with a metal border and a flat top with a rounded edge like the eraser of one. The whole thing was made out of dull metal, standing vigilantly in the middle of the narrow cave. It barely came up to Edd's chest._

_"Wh-what do you think it is?" Michelle asked, her confidence disrupted by the strangeness of their situation._

_"Well, it appears to be some kind of statue, shaped like an eraser—"_

_"Duh."_

_"—but I have no idea what purpose it could possibly… Kevin, what are you doing?!"_

_Kevin crawled on top of the eraser statue, squeezing through the gap between it and the ceiling of the cave. He easily made it to the other side, brushing off a little dust from the sides of the cave wall that had rubbed off on him. Much to Edd's chagrin, Ed followed suit and climbed over it as well, barely squeezing through._

_"Come on, Double-D, just climb over it!"_

_Edd cautiously approached the statue, and after much goading from the other two boys, he crawled over it without incident._

_"What kind of idiots are these guys?" Kevin asked. "In what universe does a chest-high eraser statue actually block the way?"_

_"Ack!" The boys turned to see Michelle struggled to get her broad shoulders into the small space above the statue. She wasn't an extremely large woman, but she was built like her brother and bigger than the three boys._

_"It's no use," she said after a last failed attempt at trying to make herself fit. "I can't get through." She prodded the walls with her club and felt that the stone was smooth and too hard to dig or break through._

_"…Oh. Looks like we'll have to go on without you then," Kevin said, turning around._

_"Kevin!"_

_"No, he's right," the woman sighed. "We won't get anything done if we all stay here. You three go on ahead, I'll see if I can find a different way into the tower._

_"We _will_ find your daughter," the boy said, clutching his ratchet as he raced off into the cave._

**~ααα~**

Kevin rolled onto the floor with an annoyed grunt as he lifted his foot off the last ladder rung. That makes extremely-long-ladder number fourteen, he inwardly groaned as he ignored the discomfort the floor gave him and tried to imagine a pillow under his head. Ladders, why ladders? Why was the only way to go up and down in this place being ladders? The Starmen didn't even _need_ them! He had seen at least four magically teleport from one floor to the other (making him wonder why they even walked anywhere in the first place), so why ladders?

"We're almost there," Ed reassured, bending down to help him to his feet. They were in another hallway, and the large boy instinctively chose an end to go down. Like always, the end opened up into the central core of the tower. It stretched from the top all the way down to the base, cone-shaped like the outside and webbed with catwalks on every floor. Light pulsed along the walls in random directions, making the place seem alive in its own right.

Kevin sighed, knowing the drill. To minimize their chances of being spotted, the boys crawled along the floor of the catwalk. It was slow and tedious, but it worked, especially this time since they were on the topmost one. As they neared the end of it, the last of Kevin's memories came back to him, and he remembered why fighting a Starman was a bad idea.

_The Starman appeared at the end of the excruciatingly-long tunnel, guarding a metal door. Thinking quickly, Kevin pulled Ed and Edd behind a nearby stalagmite. The three hid behind it for a few seconds. Kevin peered around it to see if the Starman had spotted them, only to see it disappear into thin air—_

_—and reappear right behind them. Without turning to look, Kevin grabbed Edd and dove to the ground. It whipped its arm out, chipping away at the rock where the two just were. Ed grabbed hold of the arm. He yanked it toward him and punched the alien right in its visor. It recoiled and took a few steps back, but retaliated by shooting fire at the boys._

_"PK Fire!"_

_Ed's flames hit the Starman's, and the entire place sweltered in heat. Kevin probed his mind for psychic energy. It was low; he'd used most of his PSI to protect against the furniture on the way to the park. Good thing there was plan B. Gripping his ratchet, he jumped out and threw it as hard as he could. It hit the Starman square in the chest. It staggered back, its flames dissipating enough for Ed's to slam into its body. Instead of recoiling further, though, it vanished and reappeared behind the large boy. Kevin acted before it could attack._

_"PK Riding!"_

_The wave of energy blasted it past Ed and into the wall. Sparks jolted across its body, but it quickly recovered. Ed dove in to land a punch, but the Starman whipped him in the gut and knocked him on his back._

_Kevin suddenly felt very vulnerable. He was almost out of PSI, and his ratchet was still lodged in the thing's chest. Ed recuperated from the blow, but Kevin could feel he was running low on steam, too. His mind rushing with wild thoughts and panic, one idea made it into the boy's head and stuck before he could consider how crazy it was._

_"Sorry, Ed!"_

_"Sorry for wha—"_

_Kevin grabbed the Ed's legs and swung with all his might. Ed flew through the air like a baseball bat and slammed into the Starman straight on. The Starman flew back into the wall as Ed sputtered a reactionary "Ding dong!", but Kevin gave it no change to get back up._

_"Ding dong!"_

_"Ding dong!"_

_"Di-ing d-dong. Ooh."_

_Kevin beat the creature as hard as he could. With what seemed like its last ounce of strength, the Starman dodged a final swing and struck Kevin clean in the chest. The force of the attack blasted him backwards, and the last thing he remembered was a sharp pain in his head._

"I think we're here," Edd said. Kevin was about to ask why, but then he noticed the sign on the door in front of them, and what was written upon it in big, bold letters:

**Prisoner Storage**

Finding the door unlocked, they carefully opened it and crept in.


	31. Sweet Caroline

**Chapter 31**

* * *

"AAAH! W-what do you want now? Can't you j-just leave us alone?!"

"Hi, Jimmy!"

Jimmy stopped shaking once he heard that warm, familiar voice. He uncurled from the corner of his cell, sitting up to face the glass wall that served as the entrance. The prison room was incredibly small; it only held four cells, two on either side of a small hallway. The entrance was on one end of the hall, and on the other was something rather peculiar: a window. It was the only one in the whole place as far as Jimmy knew, and it let a lot of comforting sunlight into the room during the day.

Jimmy looked at the figure on the other side of the glass, and was greeted with the sight of a tall boy in a green jacket, wearing a goofy yet relieved grin on his face.

"E-Ed?" he stammered, not willing to let hope in his system just yet until he was sure he wasn't seeing things.

"Oh, Jimmy! Thank goodness you're alright!" a familiar voice called from behind the big lug. Edd stepped into view, and in excitement Jimmy found the courage to stand up and walk towards him.

"You had us worried there, Fluffy," Kevin said as he too stepped up to the cell. Their voices were muffled slightly through the glass wall, but Jimmy could understand them just fine. The barrier wasn't meant to block sound.

"Y-you all came to save me?" the small boy asked.

"Yep," Kevin replied. "You and a friend's sister's daughter."

"You mean Caroline?" Jimmy gestured to his left. The two cells opposite to his were empty, but the one next to his closest to the door contained another prisoner. The others stepped in front of it, and they gasped as Caroline's figure came into view. She was a baby, wrapped in a yellow blanket but otherwise sitting unprotected on the hard, metal floor. She had a thin layer of black hair that twisted around her forehead, and her gray eyes seemed to sparkle as they looked at the boys with curiosity.

"Michelle's daughter is an infant?" Edd gasped. "She never said how old she was. How… how could they take a child—a _baby_ away from her mother?"

"She… never told us the girl's name, either," Kevin remarked, turning to Jimmy. "How do you know her name's Caroline?"

_"Because I told him."_

Kevin, Ed, and Edd all stiffened at once, the hair on the back of their neck sticking straight up. They looked at one another with a shocked face, confirming that they had all just heard a voice appear in their head.

_"Don't be alarmed. It is me, Caroline."_

Their mouths agape, they all turned their heads toward the baby. She let out a soft giggle that was silenced by the glass. She gazed at them with bright eyes.

"H-how—what—"

"She has psychic powers, believe it or not," Jimmy said, unsure whether or not to sound proud. "W-we both do, according to her."

Kevin turned to the frail boy. "_You_ have PSI?"

"PSI?"

_"Psionics. That's an interesting word to call it by."_

Kevin felt his spine tingle again. Hearing a voice inside of his head wasn't new to him, but before it had been coming from miles away. With the person in the room with him, he could astutely detect where it was coming from, an odd feeling that tugged on his mind and gently threatened to pull it away from his body, out into a void he could only imagine was there. The voice itself was less audible than it was just _there_, but it felt like it was Michelle talking. It was _her_ voice, except gentler, and with a weaker accent.

_"I apologize for making you uncomfortable, but this is my only way of communication,"_ Caroline communed. _"My body isn't developed enough to allow me to speak out loud yet, and even if it was I don't think you'd be able to take me seriously. I'm only a few weeks old, after all."_

"How are you able to talk?" Edd asked, kneeling down in front of the girl's cell. "You certainly seem to know more than your everyday few-weeks-old infant would."

_"I'm not entirely sure myself,"_ she replied. _"But I think that when I was in my mother's womb, my PSI awoke, and my brain developed while feeding off of her knowledge and memories. I know everything that she does, in a sense, because of my powers. Jimmy has them too, along with those aliens—or Starmen, that's a good name—and I believe that that is why they have captured us. They seem to think we are a threat of sorts."_

Kevin reeled a bit when she said "Starmen". He felt her mind look into his to find it, gently pushing through any defenses he could think of, tugging on his consciousness with an odd feeling of reluctant forcefulness. He knew that Ed and Jimmy could feel it also, his own sense of prying into others' minds allowing him to sense their discomfort.

_"Again, I apologize. I don't quite have full control over my powers yet. My mind reaches out and clings onto others, absorbing knowledge without my consent."_ She closed her eyes, making as solemn a face as a baby could. _"But I can at least keep from going deeper than your conscious thought and recent memories. I won't delve into places too sacred for others to know._

"Ah, don't worry about it," Kevin muttered. "Let's just get you and Fluffy out of here."

"Be careful," Jimmy warned. "This glass is psychic-powers-proof!"

"Who said anything about psychic powers?" Kevin asked smugly. "We have the ultimate battering ram. Double-D?" He smiled knowingly at the boy, who quickly returned it after getting the message, and they both made a grab for Ed. With Kevin holding the brunt of the boy's weight and Edd holding his feet, they both charged down the hall. When they passed Caroline's cell, Kevin veered a hard right and thrust Ed headfirst at the glass, much to a screaming Jimmy's chagrin.

_Smaaaash!_

The boy's head had hit the glass so hard that Caroline's cell shattered along with Jimmy's. The glass broke into several large pieces that bounced along the floor a bit before finally coming to a rest. Edd, not having planned Caroline's cell to break as well, worriedly dropped Ed's feet and stumbled over the pieces of broken glass toward her.

"Are you alright?" he called, panic rising inside him as he realized he couldn't see the little girl.

_"I'm fine,"_ he heard. Looking down, he saw a few pieces that looked as if they were piled on top of something round, no longer transparent as numerous microscopic cracks turned them white. Weary of sharp edges, he and Ed (after Kevin dropped him to help Jimmy) picked up the pieces and threw them aside to find Caroline under them, protected by a small shield cast around her. She smiled as Edd bent down and, after asking for and receiving permission, gingerly picked the girl up.

"You know, I'm kinda surprised," Kevin said after escorting Jimmy out of his cell. "You'd think that breaking these guys out would trigger some kind of—"

The door leading out of the prison room was violently ripped from its frame and tossed aside, revealing three Starmen on the other side.

"—s-silent alarm."

"PK Thunder!" Lightning burst from Ed's hands as he thrust them in front of him. It surged through all three opponents, causing them to shutter and spasm before shaking it off and charging into the room.

"Paralysis!" Kevin wasted no time following up on Ed's attack. The first Starman that charged into the room froze in place. The boy brandished his ratchet and swung it with all his might.

As the two boys rushed into the fray, Jimmy and Edd backed up near the window.

"Th-they're actually f-fighting those things?" Jimmy gasped.

"It wouldn't be the first time," Edd replied. "But you have PSI also, I'm told."

"I-I-I can't f-fight!" he stammered. "I d-don't even kn-know what to—Aah!"

He clumsily danced to the side and screamed as Ed slammed into the wall behind him, sending a crack into the window above. The boy wearily yet quickly scrambled back to his feet and dashed forward to ram his head into one of the Starmen.

"Th-they're getting c-closer!"

_"Then we'll have to push them back."_

Kevin and Ed felt a surge of intense energy rush past them. It manifested into space as a shield, thicker and brighter than Kevin had ever seen, separating the kids from the Starmen. It moved forward, forcing two Starmen out of the door. The third one caught itself on the wall to the side of the door, pushing back at the force field. Caroline, scrunching her face and giving an angry grunt, created another shield and launched it toward the first. When the shields collided, they created a bright flash and crushed the Starman flat against the wall.

_"We have to find a way out of here,"_ the baby warned. _"This place is swarming with those monsters, so I don't think getting out the front door is an option. I won't be able to keep these guys back for much longer, especially if they call reinforcements."_

"But there's no way out other than the window," Kevin said, rushing towards it. "And we're a mile up from the ground."

"T-try the wall," Jimmy said as if he'd just remembered, motioning towards a strip of wall dividing the cells. "There's a button there somewhere."

Wasting no time, Edd carefully handed Caroline to Jimmy and stepped forward. Feeling along the wall, he found a small square that stuck out a little. He pressed it, and a part of the wall flipped out, revealing a monitor, a mouse and a keyboard.

"A computer?" Kevin asked.

"Ooh ooh! See if you can make the place self-destruct like in the movies!"

"I hardly doubt that, Ed. Besides, this thing may not even legible by—by human…" Edd trailed off as he looked at the screen, grasping the mouse. The keyboard was formatted with standard English letters, and the monitor contained a mouse pointer and a single icon over a black background. The icon depicted a large, red button, and said: **Self Destruct**.

Everyone except Ed gaped at the screen, their mouths drooping to the ground. Ed triumphantly smiled.

"It-it's obviously a trap," Edd said. "No one in the world would—"

A loud cracking sound diverted their attention as the Starmen pounded against the shield.

_"It's at least worth a try,"_ Caroline said. _"Even if you got us home, the tower would still be standing. They would just come after us again, so if this works that problem would be solved. If it's a trap, then it's either fall for it or wait until I run out of energy and get overwhelmed by the Starmen."_

Sighing, Edd double-clicked the icon, steeling himself for the trapdoor to open or the terminal to explode or whatever trap would befall him and the others. When he did, large words in bold letters appeared on the screen: **Self-Destruct Sequence Enabled**.

Almost immediately, the five heard and felt a blast from under them, and the room began to shake.

"Who would be stupid enough to put a self-destruct button in the _prisoners room_?!" Kevin shouted hysterically. The shaking steadily grew more violent as more explosions erupted below. Ignoring that, Edd turned his attention back to the screen, where a window popped up requesting a password.

"Why on earth would it request a password _after_ self-destructing?" he asked himself. A glint above the screen caught his eye, and he looked up at it. Etched into the part of the panel that came out of the wall was a faint picture. Edd looked closer, steadying himself as the building shook around him. The etching depicted a crude drawing of what could only be seen as a slice of pie. Next to it was an equals sign, followed by a dash, a period, and then six more dashes.

Kevin stopped his panicked flailing long enough to see what Edd was staring at. "I guess that just proves these guys are nuts," he said. Edd, however, managed to stay calm long enough to rationalize. The drawing was no coincidence; it was clear as day once he recognized it. Pie and a blank decimal number. How obvious could one get? His eyes sank back toward the terminal, still patiently requesting a password.

Absentmindedly, knowing that it would fail, the boy typed into the password box:

**3.141592**

The window blinked, and happily showed a **Password Accepted** message. Edd weighed in his head whether to faint or to simply bury his face in his hands.


	32. Pi and Slide

**Chapter 32**

* * *

"Pie. A drawing of Pie. The password was Pi. The first seven digits. A piece of pie and seven blanks. Three-point-one-four-one-five-nine-two. A piece of pie equals pi. Pie equals pi. Pie… Pi… Pie… Pi…"

"Double D? Dude, snap out of it!"

Kevin snapped his fingers in front of Edd's eyes, making him blink several times before shaking his head. It was a bit redundant since the room itself was shaking and rumbling also, but the action brought him back to reality.

"Wha—err, sorry," he chuckled. "For a second, I thought the computer had actually accepted—"

He fixed his gaze on the terminal and froze. The **Password Accepted** was still there. Next to the terminal, a small section of the wall shifted inward and then slid out of view to reveal a small recess. Silently and blankly, Edd reached in and pulled out a cardboard package no bigger than a shoebox.

_"I don't mean to rush you—I know how little sense everything is making right now—but I won't be able to hold these monsters back for much longer,"_ Caroline warned.

Edd, while still gingerly holding the box, turned around and apologized to everyone.

"Back to the problem on hand," Kevin announced calmly, "the place is going to _blow the heck up_ and we're trapped in it!"

A loud, metallic scraping sound diverted their attention to the door. Through the shield, they saw all of the Starmen suddenly disappear as the catwalk leading to it gave out and crumbled. The room suddenly jerked forward, causing the walls and floor to buckle and making the window shatter.

"Case and point," he spat. It quickly turned into a nervous sigh, however, as he pulled out his journal and began fervently leafing through it. "C'mone, George, why isn't there some kind of PSI that lets you fly or something in here?"

_"I don't know about flying, but what about hitching a ride?"_ Caroline asked.

"What?"

_"When I focus my PSI in a certain way, I am able to sense a sort of… stream, so to speak, of space,_ she explained. _"I feel something flowing through the space around me, in a direction I can't comprehend. It's as if it goes in a different dimension altogether. However, it leads to places I know of, places I—or in my case, my mother—have been to before. But when I try to tap into it…"_

A strange sound filled the room as Caroline closed her eyes and concentrated. It was an odd mix between an ethereal whirring and gargling, growing steadily in pitch. Jimmy let out a small gasp as the baby's body pulled at his arms, forcing him to walk forward lest she slip out from his grip. He clumsily stumbled down the room and tripped over a large crack in the floor. In an instinct to protect her, he quickly spun around so he landed on his back, and the noise ended with a pop. A small puff of smoke burst from the baby.

_"The stream moves quickly,"_ she said before Edd could ask if they were alright, unfazed by a small layer of soot covering her face. _"When I try to connect to it with my powers, it drags my physical body along with it in any direction it can. However, I can't seem to go fast enough to submerge my power completely, so the stream spits it back at me like this."_

Jimmy, though still shocked, managed to grab a corner of the blanket and wipe the girl's face clean with it before getting up on wobbly feet. Another blast from below shook the room, causing the crack to widen as the boy frantically jumped over it toward the window with the others.

"How fast are we talking about for this to work?" Kevin asked.

_"I don't know exactly, but I'd guess somewhere around 'faster-than-you're-allowed-to-drive-on-the-freeway'."_

"Great."

"What's in the box?" Ed asked. Edd, opting to try and stay sane until they were safe, quickly opened the top, and the first thing he saw was a piece of paper that said: **Escape through the window.**

"I thought we agreed early on that that wasn't a good idea," Kevin retorted, leaning through the window, making sure to put his hands on parts of the sill that didn't have shards of glass still attached. As the others came to look out with him, his eyes widened as something caught his attention. Looking down near the bottom of the conical tower just under the window, a thin strip of the smooth metal that adorned the outer wall curved out farther from the rest of it. Instead of a near-vertical drop, the slice of the tower sloped outward in a gentle arc. "Oh. Well, that wasn't there before."

"It's a giant slide!" Ed shouted ecstatically. Before anyone could stop him, he leapt out of the window head-first.

"Ed!" Kevin, Edd and Jimmy all shouted. The latter leaned so far out the window that he lost his balance. In another twitch effort to protect Caroline, he held her in front of him as he tumbled out the window and slid down the tower on his stomach.

"Jimmy!" Kevin stepped onto the sill and prepared to jump after him. Edd opened his mouth to protest, but a violent shake of the floor bumped the two boys out the window. The glossy metal of the tower slid smoothly underneath their backs, barely keeping them from total freefall as they sped up rapidly. His screams filling the air, Kevin grabbed Edd's arm and straightened his body to go faster. They ended up sliding past Jimmy, and Edd quickly clutched onto his leg. Ed was far ahead of them, but his whoops of joy were audible.

"Ed, slow down!" Kevin screamed.

"No! Faster! Faster!" the boy called back in glee. Groaning, Kevin instructed everyone to straighten themselves out as much as possible. Soon enough, though still high up on the impossibly tall structure, they managed to catch up with Ed. His good mood wasn't spoiled by Kevin grabbing and angrily throwing him behind Jimmy. Ed maneuvered himself just past the boy until he could grab his leg, weary of the baby clutched in his arms.

"What do we do now?" Jimmy called, the wind making it hard to hear his voice.

"The slope should let us safely reach the ground," Edd called back. "After slowly converting our vertical momentum into horizontal momentum, friction should slow us down enough to—Look out!"

A ways below them, a part of the tower blew out. The metal of the tower peeled outwards as if a giant bullet had pierced through it. Panicking, Ed grabbed onto Jimmy's leg, and with a hard swing he threw him and everyone else to the side. Kevin gasped as the hole whipped by him at an alarming rate. Edd screamed as Ed kept heading right towards the gap, unable to maneuver himself away from it. The boy simply laughed in joy, however, as he hit a part of the metal that curved up before the hole and flew through the air, slowly landing back down onto the tower and navigating his way back to the group.

All around them, more and more parts of the tower began to blast away. A particularly violent jerk made Edd look behind to see that top had begun to cave in on itself, the structure crumbling inward from it. Kevin gritted his teeth, his shirt and pants beginning to scrape against the metal as dust and debris caked onto it. Jimmy held onto Caroline for dear life. The girl clenched her eyes shut, wishing the ride to be over.

They were over halfway down the tower when everyone felt it violently shift. Before he could even gasp, Kevin was thrust upward. Everyone else was blasted into the air as the tower exploded from underneath them. Flailing around, Kevin managed to grab onto Edd's leg.

"Not good!" Ed shouted, grabbing onto Jimmy along with Edd. Jimmy kept his arms wrapped around Caroline, who simply closed her eyes all the tighter while Edd held onto the package. The blast had blown them forward, far beyond the base of the tower. They hurtled toward the ground at an alarming pace.

"We're gonna die!" Jimmy screamed, causing Ed and Edd to join in.

Kevin didn't want to be here. Not just the falling-to-his-doom here. How many days was it? Two in the cell, three in the desert, one at Pomegranate Pool, and another here. Six days since he last called his mother. Or seven. He didn't really feel like doing math right now. And who knows how long he had been out since Helmy kidnapped him and Ed? He just wanted to see her, one more time. His vision blurred, his eyes stinging from the wind rushing past.

Cherry Falls. He was there for less than a few minutes, but he could remember the house on top of the hill. His new home, where Mom was. He could see her, sitting on a blanket in the grass in front of it, wrapping her arms around her jean-covered legs, the sun gleaming off of her short, red hair. He reached out to it with his arm, but he only grabbed onto frigid air from the north.

_"Reach with your mind."_

The boy calmly did as instructed. He could see it, the stream. It was a tunnel of space, extending through the void outside of his mind in a direction he couldn't conceive. And at the end of it was his mother. He extended his mind into the current, gasping as it pulled him in.

"What's going on?" Edd called as he felt the boy pull on his leg harder.

"I'm not sure!" Kevin replied. "But hold on!"

The whirring-gargling noise pierced through the sound of air rushing past everyone, Caroline's eyes opening in excitement and wonder. Jimmy and Edd closed their eyes in fright as the ground grew closer and closer, threatening to slam into them any second.

It never did.


	33. Reunions

**Chapter 33**

* * *

"K-Kevin?"

Kevin groaned. His face was pressed into the grass. His head throbbed; he had hit it when he tumbled along the ground after that… _thing_ happened. A gentle breeze helped soothe it as he drunkenly tried to push himself off the ground. The air was so warm. Massaging his temples, he looked up and wondered where he—

Her face mirrored his. She sat on a blanket no more than a few feet in front of him, in front of a small house at the top of an enormous hill that overlooked the small town of Cherry Falls. The air was so warm. Sitting there, right in front of Kevin, was his mother.

"M-Mom?"

He stumbled forward in reflex, but before he could take a second step he found himself swept up in her arms.

"Oh Kevin, I was so worried about you!" his mother cried, kneeling to adjust to his height and hugging him all the tighter. "I thought I had lost you!"

"I'm so sorry, Mom!" the boy cried back. "I tried to call, I really did, but the phones were dead or they weren't around and then I lost the number and—"

"Honey? What's going—" Kevin's father stood in the doorway, his jaw hanging from his mouth as he tried to comprehend the scene in front of him. It wasn't long before he jumped off the porch to join in the hug.

"I missed you guys so much!" Kevin said. He could feel the others behind him, but it was too late to hold back his tears they streamed down his cheeks.

"What happened to you?" his father asked. "You've been gone for a week! More than that!"

"Well, it's a long story," he said slowly, begrudgingly breaking away from the embrace to look at his friends. "And we were kinda in the middle of something before we—I—well—"

"We were sliding down the tower," Ed chimed, "and it exploded from under us and we were falling and Kevin made a weird noise and we went _WHOOOOSH_ and then we tumbled here and—"

"We teleported!" Edd interjected, nearly jumping as he bounced on his knees in excitement. "Instantaneous transportation over a significant distance!"

Kevin's mother tilted her head. "You went 'whoooosh' and magically appeared—er, _teleported_ right in front of me?"

Kevin let out a small chuckle. "Let me just start from the beginning."

Kevin and the others all took a spot on the blanket, the warm afternoon sun warming them from above. He explained everything in as much detail as he could. His parents listened closely, not a hint of disbelief or indifference on their faces. As he spoke, he felt lighter, the feeling compelling him to tell more as the words flowed from his mouth as fast as his memories flowed through his head. He was more than happy to elaborate when his mother or father asked, not feeling for a second that they weren't taking him seriously. Ed and Edd added in bits and pieces that he missed, and Jimmy simply cradled a sleeping Caroline in his lap.

The sun began to dip down slightly in the sky by the time he had finished, ready to soon bathe the land in the golden light of sunset.

"This is all so much to take in," Kevin's father sighed. "But I have to, I guess. The proof is sitting in front of me, having literally appeared out of thin air."

"It hasn't even been an hour yet?" Kevin asked. It had felt much longer than that.

"Do any of you want something to eat?" his mother asked. "I don't cook much, but I do make some good bologna sandwiches."

"That's okay, Mom, we're—" it was then that Kevin finally noticed that everyone's stomach was growling, having tuned out Ed's rumble a while ago. "Oh, I guess I could go for a sandwich."

It was the best thing he'd ever tasted.

**~ααα~**

"Here's our number again. You make sure to call often, and don't lose it this time!" His mother handed a small slip of paper to Kevin from across the kitchen table.

"May I see that? I can commit it to memory just in case," Edd offered. Kevin begrudgingly handed him the slip, but gave a short gasp when the boy handed it back just a few seconds later with a "Thank you". Smiling, he put the slip deep in his pocket, shrugging to feel his new shirt and the lack of holes and tears it had rub warmly against him underneath the brown jacket.

"So there's no entry in the journal about this teleportation thing you just did?" the boy's father asked.

"Nope, I guess not," Kevin replied. "I'm not even sure if I can do it again."

"Well, we're not going to let you jump off anything to try," his mother half-joked.

_"It may be possible to simply run into the current,"_ Caroline said. _"After all, it can pull me across the room and I can't even crawl yet. Perhaps it will allow you to build up enough speed on your own."_

"Are you sure she will be alright?" Kevin's mother asked, kneeling down near Jimmy to hold Caroline. "You're just a baby, but you know everything an adult does. To know so much about the world so early in your life…"

_"Do not worry about me,"_ the baby smiled, _"I accept that I may not have a normal childhood. But I can always pretend, for my mother at least. She is a strong woman, strong and caring. When the aliens came to take me, they forced me to sleep with a powerful hypnosis spell but I know neither she nor my uncle gave me up without a fight. I can care for her as much as she's cared for me."_

Kevin's mother smiled, bouncing the girl in her arms (to Caroline's delight) before gingerly handing her back to Jimmy.

"Alright, is everyone ready?" Kevin asked, stepping outside to the front yard. Ed, Edd, Jimmy and Caroline all agreed, stepping out after him along with his parents. They walked on the street, facing down the hill where Kevin's whole adventure began.

"Wait, what about this?" His father held up the cardboard box.

"Think of it as insurance," Edd said. "We haven't seen what's inside it, so this way we'll have to come back to know!"

"B-but don't open it!" Kevin shouted, "In case it's like a bomb or something in it!"

"Kevin, I opened it once before." Edd placed a hand on his shoulder. "I hardly think there's anything dangerous under that piece of paper telling us how to escape."

"B-but what if there's something else? Like a tracking device or some crazy stone or something that causes something bad to happen or something to find you?"

"Oh for heaven's sake, Kevin," Edd sighed as marched up and took the box from the man. "If you're going to worry that much then I'll hold on to it. Is that more preferable to you?"

The boy nodded, relieved. "Mom? Dad? We will definitely come back after we take care of a few things. Insurance or no insurance. Just… please be careful!"

"We will if you will," his father said.

With a nod, his confidence rising, the boy gave one final goodbye to his parents before setting his sights on the road ahead. He concentrated, and his psychic intuition helped him find the stream. It pulled on his mind, and by extension, his body, and in his vision grew the image of a neighborhood cluttered with piles of inanimate objects.

He ran forward down the street, the others trailing behind him. They built up speed quickly, each boy feeling uneasy as their legs began to move faster and faster out of their control and their feet began to touch the ground less and less. The noise built up as Kevin found himself getting pulled further and further into the stream. A sudden burst of light enveloped him and everyone else, and disappeared just as quick as it came.

Finding themselves running slower and their weight returning, everyone stumbled to a halt on blissfully solid ground. A sudden burst of cold air made Jimmy shiver, and he held onto Caroline a little tighter.

"D-did it work?" he asked, taking an interest in the grass around them.

"Yep!" Ed replied, pointing down the street from the unkempt lawn they were standing in. All around them were piles upon piles of furniture. Edd and Kevin tensed up initially, but they quickly noticed people wandering about the street, some picking items up and others inspecting the damage. Nothing that wasn't alive moved an inch.

"The furniture isn't attacking anymore," Jimmy smiled. Sunlight glinted off of the edge of his retainer, and he tilted his head upward. "And look, the tower's gone!" There was not a sign of the tower anywhere in the distance, where it had once been impossible to miss looming over the town. The neighborhood was much brighter now, and the sun was higher in the sky than it was in Cherry Falls—a testament to how far away the two places were. Kevin shivered in excitement and wonder, the after effects of his new ability leaving a tingle in his spine, and a smile spread across his face. The group made their way down the street to get to Michelle's house, watching in awe as the neighborhood seemed to spring to life around them.

"So it was most likely the tower that caused this to happen in the first place," Edd remarked. "The furniture coming to life, that is. I can only wonder how it could have accomplished such a feat."

"I'm just gonna guess PSI," Kevin said. After turning a corner, Michelle's house came into view, and the kids saw her tentatively picking up her belongings and placing them back in her house. As she carried a lamp, she noticed them, and immediately dropped it on the ground.

"My god, you're alive!" Michelle dashed towards them. "I saw the tower implode and I—"

Jimmy tapped her shoulder, giving a snide yet graceful "Ahem" as he held up Caroline. The woman gasped and fell to her knees, reaching out and stroking the baby's head, as if to check if the girl was real. Caroline opened her eyes and looked at her mother, and without a sound she reached her arms up at her.

Tears rolled down the woman's face as she took her daughter in her arms and held her close.

"Oh, my darling," she breathed between sobs, "my beautiful girl."

**~ααα~**

"I can't thank you boys enough." Michelle carefully stepped backwards up the stairs to her house's second floor, holding up one end of a large desk while Ed dutifully held the other.

"Don't mention it," Kevin said as he set a slightly cracked lamp on a nightstand in her room. "Your brother gave me a ride." His face sunk into a light sneer. "Helping you clean up wasn't part of the deal, though," he grumbled.

"We're _happy_ to help with setting things in order again," Edd retorted, stumbling as he tried to walk without hitting his legs on the chairs he carried to the dining room table. "After all, one doesn't always need psychic powers or super strength to help a friend in need."

"Except when it matters," Kevin mumbled under his breath.

"Well you got all the heavy stuff. I think I can handle the rest by myself," Michelle said. She brushed off her skirt and headed into her room, quietly peering at the baby sleeping in the crib next to her bed and smiling.

"You know, I've been wondering," Kevin said, leaning against the door. "Where exactly is the lake? Lime Lake, I mean. We fl—err, we got to see this town from a high place when we first got here, and I couldn't see it anywhere."

"That's because it was underneath the tower," the woman replied.

"Really?"

"Yep. They just built the da—darned thing on top of it, covered the whole lake up."

"I wonder why they'd do that," Edd pondered.

"Well, some say that the island in the middle of the lake has some sort of 'supernatural power'," Michelle explained. Kevin suddenly perked, though he didn't know why. "It's always covered in fog year round, and people mention feeling a supernatural energy when they get near. I don't think anyone's actually tried to get on it, though; it's raised so high off the water on all sides that you'd need mountain climbing gear to get up it."

"Let's check it out," Kevin suggested, once again unsure of why he suddenly found himself so intrigued. "Double-D, you can get us up a cliff, right?"

"Of course," he replied. "But why the sudden curiosity?"

"I just got a hunch." And he walked down the stairs and out the front door without saying another word. As he left, he noticed Jimmy walking down the street towards him.

"Hey, Fluffy. I thought you were going home."

"I did, and my parents missed me and I missed them," the boy almost sighed before perking up. "But I want to see Sarah again, if—if that's okay. I mean, you can go anywhere you want now, right?"

"Anywhere I've already been, according to Caroline." He folded his arms and smiled. "I owe Ed one for coming with me on all this. I'll take you both to Lemon Brook."

Jimmy's face lit up.

"But first," he added, "I want you to help us check something out."

**~ααα~**

The boat glided smoothly across the frigid water of Lime Lake. The only trace left of the Starman Tower was a gigantic, perfect circle of dead plants and compressed earth surrounding the lake. Other than that, however it seemed as if the tower had vanished into thin air like a defeated Starman.

Whatever docks and piers that may have been by the lakeside at one point were now piles of rubble and debris, as if the tower had just popped into existence and crushed them beneath it. One resident of neighborhood had been kind enough to lend the boys a small sailboat of his, on the condition that if it tries to eat them they never bring it back.

Ed, Edd, Kevin and Jimmy rowed across the lake, toward a cylindrical wall of mist in the center. It rose high above them; powerful, but not as daunting or forboding as the tower had been. Kevin felt his skin tingle as they passed through it, his world suddenly shrinking to a small bubble of visibility as the silver fog engulfed them. The air grew a bit colder, but not uncomfortably so. Kevin could feel the fog brushing against him. Soon enough, a wall of solid stone emerged into view. It stretched upward, disappearing into the mist before the boys could see where it ended.

Turning the boat to the side of the cliff, Edd reached into his jacket pocket and handed Ed a large grappling hook, cobbled together from various parts around the neighborhood. With the others clutching onto a rope attached to it, Ed gave it a mighty heave, and it shot upwards into the sky. A second passed, and the boys felt it catch onto something above. After a quick test, Edd deemed it stable enough to climb.

Each boy climbed up one at a time, save for Ed, who effortlessly carried Jimmy on his way up. When they reached the top, they traversed the barren rock as it sloped upward like a dome. When they neared the top, the mist cleared almost instantly. The boys stepped into a cylinder of fresh air and sunlight, like the eye of a silent storm. The center of the island was barren, a perfect half-dome of smooth, red rock with no plantlife to be found. While Edd marveled at the unusualness their surroundings, Ed noticed a crater that lay at the peak of the stone, and they approached it carefully.

Inside the opening was a cave of stone, with a floor that spiraled downward out of view from the top. Clutching his wrench, Kevin wordlessly went in first, followed by the others. Jimmy squeezed on the handle of his new weapon: a golf club, given to him as a gift from Michelle before they left. The cave descended in a wide and steady spiral, lit only by Ed cradling a small flame in his hands held out in front of him.

"So, what was your hunch about this place, exactly?" Jimmy asked.

"I think it might be a sanit—sactori—" Kevin scrunched his face in thought, and turned to Edd. "Err, Double-D, what did you call it?"

"A sanctuary, Kevin. From the way you described—"

"Yeah, that."

The tunnel began to grow brighter. Ignoring Edd grumbling about being interrupted, Jimmy asked, "A sanctuary? What do you mean by—oh."

The cave opened up to an amazing expanse. The boys stepped from stone to glass; clear, wavy glass that curved up and formed a giant bubble around them, stretching high above their heads and wide enough to fit a small house in. The cave turned out to be a tube of rock, spiraling around the bubble from the outside. Beyond it laid a world of fish and underwater plants, the depths of the lake. Sunlight shimmered on the sandy floor around the bubble, and the light sparkled and danced around the glass.

Kevin smiled as the now-familiar warmth and peace of mind seemed to drape over him and the others. Though the glass was absolutely clear and it seemed impossible that this could happen in nature, he knew that the place wasn't man-made. It was too pure, in a sense.

"Amazing," Edd remarked. He peered excitedly at various fish that brushed up against the outside of the bubble, placing a gentle hand on the glass as if he could reach through it and touch them. Ed and Jimmy joined him, but Kevin walked towards the center of the floor, a sudden shimmer catching his eye.

"Hey guys, look what I found!" They turned around to see the boy holding a piece of a jagged mirror. He quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out the other one, and the two pulled toward each other like magnets. Like the last time, when their edges touched, an intense light burst through the seam and the two pieces became one.

"My my, how interesting!" Edd said, inspecting the object. "To think that each piece would be in a place like this."

"How many more do you think there are?" Jimmy asked, admiring the mirror along with Ed.

"Well, assuming that each piece is the same size and that the edge of the completed mirror forms a perfect circle," Edd explained, stroking his finger along the rounded edge, "I'd say it's made up of seven pieces. The arc is just under a half circle, and if it's divided into three equal parts then a fourth one would bring it past a perfect hundred-and-eighty degree curve."

"What does it mean?" Jimmy asked. "I mean, it's beautiful, but why is it here?"

"I dunno," Kevin answered. "But between the giant snake and Truckdresser and now the tower, I'd say that someone or something wants these or gets some kind of power from them."

"That's quite astute of you, Kevin," Edd said.

"What did you just call me?"

"Err, nevermind."

**~ααα~**

"…So, Sarah, anything happen to you in the past week?"

Reluctantly, the girl broke away from the hug she shared between Ed and Jimmy. The five of them stood the porch of Sarah's house in Lemon Brook. The larger boy gave a short and sad grunt, but otherwise still wore an expression of joy and relief while Jimmy just smiled. Kevin himself smiled. Their meeting was a spectacle; Sarah had polarized her reaction between trying to sound angry at Ed for "leaving her behind and getting kidnapped" and crying that she couldn't save him when he was in trouble, and they ended up just hugging afterwards. Jimmy joined in soon after, more welcome in Sarah's arms than in Ed's.

"Not really," Sarah replied. "Mom and Dad were worried about Ed, but it felt like they were happier that _I_ wasn't missing anymore."

"Where are they now?"

"Off at their new jobs."

"Ah."

"I'm just glad you're okay," Jimmy said, giving her another hug which she happily returned.

"Well, if we're all done here, I've got to get back to my parents," Kevin announced. "Sarah, do you wanna come with us?"

The girl shook her head. "I don't think Mom and Dad would like it, even if I told them first. Besides, I've been training with my new powers." She smiled and held up a hand, which glowed with psychic energy. "If Truckdresser or anyone else comes around, I'll be able to kick their butts outta here now."

"Alright, if you say so."

While Kevin readied himself to teleport for the fourth time, Ed gave Sarah one last hug for goodbye and sprinted to catch up with the others as they darted off and soon disappeared in a flash of light.

**~ααα~**

"You ready, Double-D?"

"Ready as ever, Kevin."

"Open it."

Sitting at the kitchen table in Kevin's house, Edd gingerly lifted the lid off the cardboard box. The piece of paper instructing them to jump through the window lay faithfully near the rim, and the boy picked it up and looked under it.

Inside the box was a badge, a thin circle of metal that had a graphic depicting a distorted grid—similar to the latitude and longitude lines on a globe, Edd pointed out—and a jagged lightning bolt bisecting it at an angle. Kevin gingerly lifted it out of the box, weighing the thing in his hand. It was just barely larger than his palm. Underneath it was another piece of paper, which read:

**_If you are reading this, then you have proven that you have creativity and intelligence and have successfully destroyed and escaped the Starman Tower._**

**_Being in the tower in the first place means that you either possess PSI or have come to rescue one or more person that does, proving you have courage and strength or potential for them on both accounts. All of these things are vital if you are to rid your world of the evil that has befallen it without as much sacrifice as I fear it may cost._**

**_Enclosed in this package is what is known as a Franklin Badge. It is a quite useful device that reflects lightning aimed at the wearer back at the one who fired it. Also enclosed are tickets to the Talastsbo Express, a luxury train excursion located at Blueberry Bay. If you take it, you will most certainly find me and I will be able to explain what is happening and help in any way that I can. However, I fear my time here may be short, and while the tickets have no set departure time, I implore you to come as fast as you can. The fate of this world may very well rest in your hands._**

The note ended there. Kevin looked again at the Franklin Badge, feeling a pin on its backside. A strange sensation gently pressed over him, and he pinned the badge to his hat so it lay just above his forehead. It felt right, and he smiled.

"Whoever wrote this certainly thought ahead of time," Edd said, examining the note carefully. "However, this could most certainly be a trap."

"I don't care," Kevin replied. "This person knows what the heck is going on. I can't just sit here doing nothing when I literally have superpowers and there's evil about." He looked in the box again and dumped out four train tickets. Grabbing them, he fanned them out and asked, "Who's with me?"

Hesitantly, Ed reached out and took a ticket. Edd quickly followed after.

"You don't have to if you don't want to, Fluffy," Kevin said, noticing the boy's hesitation. "We can just drop you off at your parents—"

"No!" he cried, shifting nervously in place. "I mean, I'll go. I was the reason that those Starmen things came, I think. Me and Caroline, anyway, and I didn't even know I had PSI until just a few hours ago, and I don't know how to use it or anything. But I don't want anything bad to happen because of me, and you and Ed—"

"We get it," Kevin assured with a smile, holding out a ticket for the boy. "Just don't cry too much if something bad happens, okay?"

"Oh—Okay," he stuttered, taking the ticket.

"So it's settled," Kevin said, putting the ticket in his pocket. "In the morning, we're going to take a train ride."

* * *

**End Part 3**


	34. To the Talastsbo Express!

**Part 4**

* * *

**Chapter 34**

* * *

"Okay Jimmy, here it comes!"

Jimmy was about to get hit by a _tree_. A tree was charging at the him, its roots flailing about and stabbing the grassy ground to move itself forward. On its trunk, an animate, wooden face contorted into a twisted yet almost comical scowl, a stark contrast to the goofy smile it wore just seconds ago. The creature's intimidation was accented by an afro of burning leaves and branches above it. Jimmy stood a ways in front of the thing, shaking with his large golf club clutched in white-knuckled hands.

"You can do it, Jimmy!" Ed called out from behind a nearby rock with Edd and Kevin. Kevin folded his arms on the rock and slumped his chin on them, groaning at a small, fresh cut in his sleeve. Edd, meanwhile, marveled at the tree itself. Its kind was small, its tallest branch hardly surpassing nine feet on average, but they managed to charge at an alarmingly fast pace when they neared their breaking point. That was even before observing what happened when one actually reached said point.

Jimmy tried to concentrate. He tried to remember what he saw at the climax of his psychic fever, the way he felt the alien energy flow from his fingertips and manifest itself as lightning. The tree grew closer and closer, the flames on its leaves growing more intense. It was ready to blow, right in his face, and it was coming fast. Jimmy clenched his eyes. He tried and push the terror out of his mind. He tensed his hands and felt sparks sprout from his fingertips. Not enough. He tried again, squinting at his hands, and this time the energy was strong enough to arc from finger to finger. One more, he just had to try it one more—

"Shield!" Kevin shoved Jimmy backward. The hatted boy thrust out his hand in front of him. From it, a protective dome of energy formed around the two boys. The tree's body swelled. It slammed into the shield and burst in a fiery explosion. Ed and Edd ducked behind the rock, feeling the blast shake the ground and heat up the air around them. An instant later, when it was over, they dared to peer over it. Near the center of a newly-made ring of charred grass was a bubble of living plantlife, and crouching on top of it were Jimmy and Kevin.

"What the heck, Jimmy?" the Kevin scoffed, dispelling the forcefield and getting to his feet.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry," Jimmy sobbed. "I-I panicked!"

"That's the third one we've come across!" Kevin trudged back to the rock and grabbed his bike as he spoke. "This is the perfect opportunity for you to learn how to fight. Ed and I break them down, and all you gotta do is make the finishing blow, but you keep chickening out! You're gonna have to use your powers at _some_ point."

"Don't be so hard on him, Kevin," Edd assured as he helped Jimmy to his feet. "He isn't used to this yet."

"Yea, and he made sparks this time!" Ed cheerfully added.

"Well Ed and me learned most of our powers after the first few tries," Kevin retorted. "It's not hard; you just have to stop being such a wimp." He mounted his bike and rode off through the tall, grassy plain.

"Oh, Kevin!" Edd called, running after the boy with Jimmy and Ed. "Why do you insist on bringing your bike when you know we can't all fit on it?"

"Because riding is my favorite thing. You don't think I'd give up the namesake of my most powerful attack, would you?" Before he went out of earshot, he turned and rode in a circle, impatiently waiting for the others to catch up.

"Well, you're going to be _riding_ a train, soon, and I doubt that they'll let you bring it on board. Once we get to Blueberry Bay, you should teleport it back to your parents' house for safekeeping."

Seeing both Edd and Jimmy slow down, out of breath, Ed hosted them both onto a shoulder and dashed after Kevin. The boy appreciated their warmth against him, even through both his treasured green jacket and thick brown one. The air was cool, being just east of Lime Lake, and a faint smell of salt told him that they were nearing the ocean.

A few seconds passed, and Kevin rode next to them to respond. "As if! I'm bringing my baby with us, and I'd like to see them stop me."

Edd sighed, muttering under his breath that the boy was beyond reason.

"Double-D, what's my score now?" Ed asked.

The boy on his shoulder perked up. "Oh, right! I nearly forgot to tally your score from that fight." He paused, making a quick calculation in his head, and replied, "You're at twenty-five points right now. Congratulations, Ed, you leveled up!" The large boy hollered in joy, turning his run into a skip that allowed him to catch up with Kevin even faster.

"What the heck are you dor—err, what the heck are you guys talking about?" Kevin asked.

"Oh, it's something of a game Ed and I came up with just recently," Edd explained. "Based on how many monsters Ed has slain and how he slew them, he is awarded 'points' and he 'levels up' after getting a certain amount. I can keep tabs for you and Jimmy also, if you'd like."

Kevin stared at the two blankly for a moment, before saying, "You know, you guys may not scam people any more, but that doesn't stop you from being good old' dorks every now and again."

Edd smiled and rolled his eyes. "Well, it at the very least is some form of math. I'll have a lot of catching up when I eventually return to…" his face grew white, and he slowly uttered, "to school. Which… which I'm currently skipping…"

The boy fainted.

The group continued their journey through the fields, encountering more hostile trees and other strange monsters along the way. Ed and Kevin began to dispatch them quicker and quicker as the smell of the sea grew stronger and Edd (when he woke up) could see smoke rising in the horizon. They quickly opted to stop trying to leave the final blows to Jimmy, as the boy grew tired and Kevin deemed it a waste of time anyway.

As the sun began to dip down from the top of the sky, the boys made their way into the town of Blueberry Bay. It was a small town, Edd observed, the roads were mainly gravel and most of the buildings were old and made of wood.

"You really think they'd put a train here?" Kevin asked.

"But of course, Kevin. Back in colonial times, most likely when this town was founded, people needed a way to transport goods—and themselves—to and from places further into the country. Railways best suited that need back then, so it's no surprise that there would be a station here. Though I personally have never heard of the Talastsbo Express in particular, unfortunately."

"I don't get why we can't just book a flight to wherever this train's gonna take us. Or why the mystery person didn't do it himself."

"I like trains, Kevin!" Ed chimed.

"I agree with Ed," Edd added. "Travel by locomotion is quite a different experience than travel via air. Though to address your point, I would imagine that the train would take us somewhere very distant from an airport, and is more practical to use to travel to that location."

Kevin shrugged. "Eh. Fair enough."

After asking a nearby fisherman for directions, the boys soon found the station. It was a small building, built only for the express itself, Edd learned from the lady selling tickets. Most of the ceiling was a glass skylight that allowed sunlight to sparkle on the marble floor and walls. Sitting along the single line of tracks were ten luxurious coaches, painted a royal purple and adorned with ornate, gold-colored metalwork.

At the end of the train, facing away from the seaside was the locomotive itself. Ed and Jimmy marveled at it; it was a steam-powered train, decorated in the same manner as the coaches. Unlike anything the boys had ever seen, though, it had two boilers facing opposite directions, and the driver's cab sat between them.

"It's like a mutant Siamese-choochoo train!" Ed sputtered.

"Actually, Ed, it's a double-ended Fairlie Locomotive," Edd explained. "They were designed to run equally fast and efficient no matter which way they went. They were quite popular because of that, among other things. For instance, its wheels are all powered, and they're put on bogeys that can swivel…"

As Edd went into details, Kevin quickly grew bored and walked his bike away from the group. He looked at his ticket, which had no departure date or time on it.

"You know when this train leaves?" he asked the lady at the ticket counter.

"It leaves at four o'clock," she said. "You're just in time."

"Where does it take us?"

"You don't know?" she asked. "Well, you're in for a surprise. It's a two-and-a-half day trip, and I suggest you bring some money to buy warm clothes when you get on."

"Okay, but where—"

"ALL ABOARD!" called an unnaturally loud voice from behind him. He turned to see a small number of people board the train while Ed, Jimmy and Edd motioned for him to come with them.

The lady smiled, and said, "You'd better get going. The conductor doesn't like to wait; he takes the schedule very seriously."

Kevin opened his mouth to protest, but another piercing call from the man standing outside the coaches of the train made him flinch, and he reluctantly turned around to meet the others on the platform.

"Velcome, velcome!" said the conductor. He had a thick accent, one that none of the boys could place a name to. He looked at the boys from the platform next to the stairs leading up to the middle coach, and then to his large, golden pocketwatch. His face was almost enshrouded by a thick, brown beard and mustache, and he made a kind yet clearly confused expression as he asked, "Vhere are your parents, little ones? Ve have to go now, or ve will be behind schedule."

"Err…" Kevin avoided looking at the man, trying to think of an excuse.

"We're meeting up with them!" Edd sputtered. "It's a long story, but they're waiting for us at this train's destination."

"My, that is strange," the conductor mused, "but look at me, asking all zese questions and yap-yap-yapping and vhatnot. Go on, enjoy the Talastsbo Express!" He stepped aside, allowing Ed, Edd, and Jimmy in, but he stopped Kevin as the boy tried to lift his bike up the steep metal stairway to the door.

"You should put zat in ze luggage car near ze end there, unt hurry," the man said, pointing down the train to the cars at the end.

"Can't I just keep it with me?" the boy asked.

"I'm sorry, but it is too big. You wouldn't be able to ride it on za way anyway, so why don't you just put it with the luggage?"

Kevin refused again, and soon the two broke out into a debate that slowly began to morph into an argument. While Edd and Jimmy watched it unfold from outside the coach door, Ed looked around its interior with wonder. The inside was a narrow hallway between the windows facing the station and a wall opposite to them housing three doors. Dangling along the ceiling just above the windows was a silver cord, draped every few feet which stretched from one side of the coach to the other. Curious to see if it was just a decoration, the boy gave it two short tugs.

Kevin and the Conductor's argument was cut short by the sound of two train whistles blaring at once. Edd and Jimmy gasped as they felt the coach jerk backward from under them, and they quickly dashed inside. Rather than going forward into the country, the train pushed the coaches out of the station the other way, heading towards the sea.

"Why's it going backwards?" Kevin asked, watching it move in front of him from the platform.

"Have you never taken this train before? Aren't your parents vaiting for you in Europe?" the conductor asked.

"E-Europe?!"

"Yes! Vat vere your parents… Ach, vatever. Look, this is a transatlantic railroad. _My_ transatlantic railroad!" He sighed, but his expression quickly grew soft and he continued in a suddenly more comfortable voice, "It is ze first of its kind, I might add. It goes all the way across the sea into ze northern parts of the continent. It is a single line and privately owned; no other trains go along these rails, so we use an engine zat doesn't need to turn around—"

"And it's leaving without us!"

The conductor whirled around in shock, just in time to see that the train had already left the station without them. It slowly shrank into the horizon upon a bridge that seemed to go on forever above the ocean.


	35. Refusal to Be Left Behind

**Chapter 35**

* * *

"What in Sam Hill is going on?" Edd frantically paced around the small hallway in the car while Ed and Jimmy gazed out the windows. Miles of ocean stretched beyond, the sparkling waves of the water whipping past the train as it headed toward the east without Kevin and the conductor.

"Why on earth would they leave their own conductor behind, along with a passenger?" A glint caught his eye, and he looked up at the silver cable hanging above the windows. "Is that…" The boy immediately turned to Ed, and asked, "Ed, did you happen to pull this cable, by any chance?"

"Huh? Like this?" Ed reached to pull it again, but Edd quickly stopped him.

"Don't do it again!" he said, panic rising up inside him. "Did you pull it two times in quick succession?"

"How did you know?" the boy asked innocently. His face lit up, and he gasped, "Are you psychic now too?"

"No! This cord isn't a decoration; it is a signal for the conductor to tell the engineer when to stop and start the train!"

A look of horror spread on Jimmy's and Ed's faces, and the latter gasped, "Oh no!" To Edd's dismay, the larger boy yanked the cord downward in a display of panic. Edd yelled at him to stop, but suddenly the cord went slack in Ed's hand.

"U—uh-oh."

"It must have snapped!" Edd shouted, dancing in place in a panic. He forced himself to stop and think rationally soon after, and said "Quickly, we must warn the engineer directly!" He darted to the door at the end of the car, but froze before it. Through the round window on it he could see the next coach in front of him, and the only way to it was to cross the couplings that held the cars together.

"What's wrong?" Jimmy asked as he and Ed crowded behind him.

"W-we need an adult," Edd stuttered, shaking as he stepped back from the door. "To cross from c-car to car. I-it's t-too dangerous to do it a-alone." Jimmy looked out the window and reacted exactly like the former, but Ed fearlessly thrust the door open and hopped across the gap with an air of single-minded determination.

"Come on, guys!" he called. "We can't leave Kevin behind!"

Edd and Jimmy refused to step close to the door, keeping their backs to the wall behind them.

"I-I-I-I j-just c-c-can't!" Edd shouted. Ed, after a bout of worriedly shifting his attention from the door behind him to Edd and Jimmy and back, jumped back over and forcibly hoisted the two boys on his shoulders.

"We have to go back for Kevin!" he shouted over the boys' protests of shouts and squirms. The two screamed as he hopped over the gap for the third time and burst into the car beyond. It was a dining car, dotted with lavish tables with plates and silverware waiting on them and the walls were more decorated than the car before it. Ignoring the sudden rumbling in his stomach, Ed dashed through the car and wasted no time crossing to the next one, which was furnished similarly. Noticing that the dining cars also had a signal cord, the boy tried pulling it with his teeth (to Edd's disgust). It gave no resistance, sliding downward until he let go of it. It must have snapped further down the line.

"Wait, shouldn't we be going the other way?" Jimmy asked the initial terror wore off, though Ed refused to let them go as he made his way down the train. The small boy realized that they were racing opposite to the direction the train was moving.

"The Mutant-Siamese-Choo-Choo was this way," Ed replied as he raced down the second luxuriously decorated dining car.

"As I said, it's a Fairlie Engine and—AGH!" Edd screamed as they hopped over the gap between coaches. "—A-and it could go in reverse as well as it could go forward. Perhaps this—EEP!—This train is m-more like a shuttle, though what on earth it's doing out in the mii_iiiiii_iidle o-of the o-ocean is b-beyond me."

They entered the fifth car of the train, and the scenery abruptly changed from dining cars with the occasional confused passenger or two wondering what on earth is going on to a large kitchen, taking up the entirety of the coach. Unlike the others, there was no door at the end of the car. A woman and three men, all wearing chefs outfits, turned to look at the boy carrying two others clutched over his shoulders.

"Uh, sorry, wrong number," Ed apologized, and he stepped back out the door before the woman could ask for them to wait.

"What do we do now?" Jimmy shouted over the wind rushing around the gap between the cars. Edd's eyes widened in fright as he saw Ed look up at the top of the car.

"Oooh no, Ed, don't even thi—aaahh!" The boy screamed as Ed rocketed upward from a powerful jump and landed right on the roof of the car. Immediately, he felt felt the wind try and force him to bend forward, but he resisted. With a wide stance, he carefully made his way along the top of the coach, his mouth beginning to water as smoke wafting out of one of its vents carried the scent of delicious food being prepared below to his nostrils.

"Focus, Ed!"

"Oh, right." The boy squinted his eyes and tried to breathe through his mouth. At the end of the car was a tender filled with coal, much to Edd's curiousness, and he jovially hopped onto it. Beyond it was the locomotive. Spotting a small walkway that stretched around the boiler facing the tender, Ed stepped onto it and made his way around the engine. He turned to face the ocean, careful not to let Jimmy or Edd get too close to the burning hot boiler while they were still in his grasp, and inched along the ledge. He hopped onto the floor of the cab that extended slightly beyond the roof.

"Oi, who's there, aye say?" asked a gruff, aged man sitting in a chair in the corner of the cab.

"Aye dunno, Bernie, ooh's there?" asked a second man in a similarly thick British accent, shoveling coal into one of the locomotive's two fireboxes. He looked exactly like the other engineer, though his once-purple outfit was more covered black soot.

"Well if aye knew that, aye woudin' be asking you now, would aye?" the first man spat back, not turning his head from the display of pipes and dials in front of him.

"Um, we're right here, you know," Jimmy said, squirming off of Ed's shoulder and motioning to himself.

"What's a li'le girl doing in the train, Bart?"

"Yea, this ain't a place for childrin', you know. Go back to yer mom n' dad!"

"I'm not a little girl," Jimmy replied, flustered. "Can't you see us?"

"Would ya look at that, Bart? The girl in't a girl after all!"

"And she thinks we cin' see 'em! Oh, that's rich."

"Very rich!"

"Rich like the queen, am oi right?" The men burst into laughter, and Edd pulled away from Ed's grasp to speak.

"Gentlemen, please!" he pleaded, "haven't you realized you left both a passenger and the conductor himself back at the station?"

The mens' laughter stopped. "Whaddaya mean, 'left him at the station'? We got the proper signal to start an' everythin'!" Bart said, reaching up and tapping at a small whistle near the ceiling. It was connected to the silver cord. "Two short puffs means 'we're off'. Only tha conductor knows that."

"That was an accident; Ed pulled the whistle cord by mistake! Please, you must stop this train and come back for them!"

"And what makes you think we're gonna listen to a bunch of li'le children?"

"What on Earth are you three doing?"

The boys turned around to see the woman from the kitchen car standing behind them outside of the cab, pressing her hand to the side of her head to keep her chef's hat from flying off from the wind. A few strands of her long, black hair slipped out from under it, and she grimaced as they blew and whipped around her face.

"They say we left the conductor behind and want us to stop!" Bernie said.

"Yea, Kate. They just waltzed right in and started ordering us about like a bunch of schoolchildren, they did."

The woman sighed, taking the opportunity to brush her hair from her face and step into the cab. She turned her attention to Edd. "You say we left the conductor and a passenger behind?" she asked, her German accent much less pronounced than the conductor's.

"Erm, yes," Edd said, confused at the woman's sudden use of a gentle, almost motherly voice. "Ed here accidentally pulled the signal cord twice, and then it snapped when he tried to pull it again. W-we're very sorry!"

Despite the sincerity of his apology, Edd felt fear and guilt run down his spine as the woman scolded, "You're lucky you're just children, or you would've been kicked off as soon as we reached Europe."

"Oi, yer believin' them?"

"If the conductor was here, he wouldn't let a bunch of kids make their way across a train unattended all the way to the engine just to make up a lie, especially to the likes of you two," she said flatly. "And furthermore—"

"Look!" Ed leaned on the railing beyond the cab, pointing down the tracks past the locomotive. Off in the distance, a figure slowly drew closer to them along the line.

"Is that…no, it couldn't be…" Edd squinted and shielded his eyes from the sun to try and get a better view.

"Is it what?" the woman asked.

"How fast are we going?"

"Bout' sev'nty somethin' miles pr'ower," Bert said, his hand gently feeling the point of a dial without a cover.

"Then it couldn't…oh my lord, it is!"

The figure slowly took shape as it closed the distance to the train. It formed Kevin and the conductor, speeding along the tracks on the former's bike.

"How on earth is he going so fast?" Jimmy asked.

"Bart, slow this thing down!"

The man opened his mouth, but closed it and sighed as he failed to find a hint of humor in her voice. He pulled on the break lever, using the loud sound it made to mask a grumble.

Kevin and the Conductor approached faster. The boy's face was contorted in a pure red scowl drenched with sweat, but he kept the bike incredibly steady along one of the rails as he pedaled at a seemingly impossible rate. The Conductor sat behind him, holding onto his hat with one hand and clutching the body of the bike with all his strength in the other in an attempt not to fall off, his expression being one of continuous surprise.

Ed, Jimmy and Edd all waved at the two, but the latter gasped as he realized that they were approaching faster and faster as the train slowed down. Kevin appeared to notice it as well, but by the time he thought to break the bike hit the locomotive's steep cowcatcher and flew over the train, screaming.

"Goodness, are you alright?" Edd asked when he saw the two lying, dazed, in the pile of coal on the tender. Kevin groaned, and his eyes popped open as he bolted upright to check and see if his bike was okay. After seeing that nothing was wrong, he plopped back down, panting. The Conductor slowly got up and brushed off his clothes with trembling hands.

"You vould not believe vat just happened," he said drunkenly, wobbling onto the locomotive's walkway.

"What on earth happened?" the woman asked.

"Hey, vat are you kids doing on ze locomotive? Come, let's get to ze coaches first, zen ve'll talk." Turning to Kevin, who was still gasping for breath but otherwise unharmed, he added, "and yes, you can bring your bike in."

* * *

"…and that's what happened on our end," Edd finished. He and Jimmy both felt the gazes of the conductor and the chef from across the round table in the dining car, and Ed apologized for the umpteenth time by Kevin's count.

"Well, accidents happen, I guess," the woman sighed. "Besides, I told you this would happen," she scolded the conductor, who suddenly regretted sitting next to her. "I kept telling you that we should switch to an electronic system for this very reason, but you insist on being old-fashioned."

"So vat if I like being 'old-fashioned'?" the man sputtered, "Zis is my train and I can do vat I vant with it. It adds to ze charm of ze place."

"And it gets you and a passenger left behind."

The man shied away from her gaze, finding the silverware in front of him suddenly very interesting.

"Anyway," Edd said, uncomfortable with the sudden tension, "Kevin, how on earth did you catch up to us?"

"I was waiting for someone to ask that," the boy said smugly. "You see, the conductor here and I were at the station, fighting whether I could bring my bike or not."

"I said you could bring your bike, but you just had to put it in ze luggage compartment!"

"Yea, whatever," Kevin dismissed. "Anyway, so when we found out that the train had left without us, the conductor started freaking out, because apparently he's never heard of a cellphone."

"Once again, I say zhat I like being old-fashioned!" the man defended. After another glare from the chef stung at him, he sighed, "but continue."

"Anyway, I said 'get on, I can catch up to it,' and got on my bike, but he said 'no, zat vill neva catch up to ze train,' and I said, 'it's worth a try, now are you coming or not?' So he got on my bike with me and we started going down the tracks.

"However, the train really was much faster than me, and as it was pulling away I had an idea. I used PSI Teleport—I'll explain in a sec," he said to the two now-confused adults at the table, "—and it made us go faster and faster."

"It vas like something vas pulling us," the Conductor added, earning a nod and a smile from Kevin.

"But right before I got into the stream, I pulled away and pretty much canceled it, so we didn't actually teleport anywhere. By pedaling as hard as I could and repeatedly using Teleport to get up to speed, we eventually caught up."

While smiles of understanding emanated from Edd, Jimmy and Ed, the two adults looked at each other in confusion. The chef whispered something into the conductor's ear, and he nodded in approval.

"As your punishment for this mess," she announced sternly, wiping the smiles off of everyone's face as they turned their attention toward her, "you must explain to us what this 'PSI Teleport' is and the actual reason you're heading to Europe on this train."

After exchanging glances between one another, the kids nodded, and Kevin said, "Alright. It's a bit of a long story, so get comfortable." And he told them everything.


	36. Tension and Knives

**Chapter 36**

* * *

"I think they took it well."

Kevin's voice was one part sarcasm and another part wishful thinking. When he had finished telling his story to the conductor and the chef, the two adults stood up from the table, turned in opposite directions and left the dining car without a word. The four children became the only ones in the coach.

"They probably just need some time to mull it over," Edd suggested. "After all, they are aware of the state the country—if not the whole world, I fear—is in. Our story probably doesn't sound any more alien than what the news might be reporting right now, and changes like this aren't always so quickly accepted. The concept of monsters and PSI still hasn't fully come into my comprehension, either."

"Well, you're the only one without it, after all," Jimmy said. "I wouldn't believe in it either, but there's this…_feeling_ in my head, telling me that something is there." He shuttered in his seat, and continued, "It's scary. It feels like a caged beast inside me, and it wants me to let it out. B-but…"

"Then just let it," Kevin groaned. "Ed and me use it all the time. It's not like it'll overpower you or eat your soul, you know." He put his hand on Ed's shoulder, and the boy turned his attention from the endless ocean right outside the window to the conversation.

"That doesn't make it any less scary."

"Then you'll just have to stop being a wimp."

"Okay, that's enough, you two," Edd interjected. "We should worry about fighting when it becomes important. But for now, let's just—"

He cut himself off when he heard Kevin let out an amused snort.

"Is something funny, Kevin?"

"No, no, go on," he said, pretending to try and hide his smirk. Edd crossed his arms and stared at him, and Kevin rolled his eyes in amusement. "Alright, alright. You just said that fighting wasn't important."

"It _isn't_ important, for the time being. We're safe here, and we have all the strength we need for self-defense against anything that comes our way in the future. We should be more concerned with finding this person who claims to know what's going—"

"Because you're _sooo_ strong and useful when we get into fights."

"E-excuse me?"

Kevin's smirk turned into a light sneer as he and Edd locked gazes from across the table. The sudden tension almost pushed Ed and Jimmy back in their seats.

"When was the last time you helped Ed and me kill a monster or stop some crazed blue person from attacking everything?"

"What are you insinuating?" Edd asked in shock. Ed, sensing the anger in his friends' voices, cowered in his seat and sank his head down into his shirt and jacket, and Jimmy scooted back from the table.

"I'm not incinerating anything," Kevin replied nonchalantly, before he accused, "I'm just saying that as far as fighting goes, all you're good for is watching over my bike. Ed and me do all the work."

Edd reeled back in disgust. "How _dare_ you! Let me ask you, who freed you and Ed from that prison in the desert, hmm?" He slammed his hands on the table before Kevin could reply, and added, "and _who_ converted that godforsaken bike you love so much into an _aircraft_ that let us get all the way from the Southern Desert to Lime Lake in a matter of hours?"

Kevin himself reeled, and said, "Look, I'm not saying that you didn't help us. But you _are_ useless in a fight, and now that I can teleport—"

"So you're saying that now I am _completely_ useless?"

"No, but—"

"But _what?_ If I'm just a burden dragging you down, why don't you just teleport me home? And why don't you take Jimmy back while you're at it, considering how _useless_ he is since he is reluctant to use his powers?"

"Stop it you two!" Jimmy screamed, partly to try and break the fight up and partly in surprise at Edd's words. Feeling the boys' gazes turn to him, his prepared argument turned into a stammering, "J-just stop it!"

"You know what? Maybe Double-Dork is right," Kevin sneered at the boy. "If you're too much of a wimp to use PSI than you're just as useless as he is. If you're not gonna man up, you should just go h—"

"Do you think I actually _wanted_ to go on such a scary and dangerous journey with someone like you?"

The coach went silent, save for the low rumble of the uncaring tracks sliding along beneath it.

Ignoring a surprised and confused "J-Jimmy" from Ed, the frail boy stood up and trudged down the coach and through the door facing toward the locomotive.

"I think that he has the right idea," Edd said, suppressing his frustration as he stood up himself. "If you need me—which you won't, of course—I'll be having a talk with the conductor."

And then he left before Ed could ask him to come back.

"What a bunch of wimps," Kevin muttered before turning to face Ed, smiling. "They're useless, but you're still with me, aren't ya?"

His smile faded as he saw Ed blankly stand up and walk toward the door Jimmy went through.

"Hey, where're _you_ going?"

The boy stopped at the door, but didn't turn around. "I'm going to be useless too. So I can be with my friends."

And then he went through, leaving Kevin all alone.

* * *

"Wash your hands over here."

The chef pointed to a small metal sink near the door of the kitchen car and Jimmy obediently approached it.

"Are you sure you're okay with me being here?" he asked tentatively as he turned on the faucet. "Miss…er…"

"Kate," she answered. "You can call me Kate. And it's alright for this trip. The conductor is my father, and he has always been pretty lax as far as meals go. That's not to say that they're not delicious or that they're unsafe to eat, mind you, but he gives us lots of room to experiment with recipes and whatnot. Plus, there are very few people taking this particular run, so letting someone as interested as you are in cooking come to see a professional at work is not a problem."

She smiled at him and washed her hands after he was done. After introducing him to the rest of the crew, she took Jimmy and showed him around the kitchen. The woman had a much warmer disposition than she did earlier; he wondered this was how she acted normally or if their story had anything to do with it. However, those thoughts were quickly drowned in delight as she showed him step-by-step how to cook the most delicious pasta sauce he had ever tasted.

"You're quite good at this," Kate marveled as Jimmy kneaded dough for a baguette while the pasta was cooking. He worked it quickly with dexterous hands.

"Well, I'm good at _something_ at least," he sighed.

"What's the matter?"

He sighed again, and told of the argument from before.

"You're getting chastised for being afraid to shoot _fire and lightning_ from your hands?"

"Uh-huh. I can kinda do it, like this." With some effort, he arced small bolts of electricity around his fingers, much to the woman's surprise. "B-but I don't think I could ever hurt someone with it."

"Well, with all the monsters out there now, I can see why it would be useful to have abilities like that," she stated. "But people are by no means useless without it, and just because you have the potential to do it doesn't mean you have to."

Seeing the dough shaped into a future loaf, she put the pan holding it into the oven and continued, "you know, I was really good at math when I went to school."

"R-really?"

"Yea. I could do Algebra before most kids my age could do division. Everyone thought I would become a mechanical engineer or a mathematician when I grew up. But I didn't like it. I liked cooking."

Jimmy pondered for a bit after she said nothing further, and said, "So…you chose to do what you loved doing instead of what you were good at?"

"Yep. You can do the same, you know."

A smile appeared on the boy's face, but it slowly faded. "But your story has to do with your job. Mine has to do with fighting creepers and monsters to stay alive." He shivered, and said, "And now I have the willies for some reason, as if something bad is going to happen. It feels too strange not to have something to do with my powers."

Kate raised an eyebrow at that last remark, but she forced herself to ignore it let out a chuckle. "You'd be surprised at how similar the two can be at times. But I digress." The boy didn't seem to react to her ignoring him, so she turned from the counter and leaned back on it. Crossing her arms and tilting her head back, she said, "Don't try to force yourself. We all have to do things we don't want to at some point in our lives, whether that is math or using superpowers or whatever it may be at some point or another." She then gazed at him, and continued, "But that's because whatever is making us do it is more important. I'm sure you'll be able to use your abilities when you really must."

The smile on his face returned.

"Now, let me show you how to make crème brûlée in the Talastsbo style."

* * *

"Oi Bernie, whots with all them children thinking this 'ere engine is a playground or something?"

"I dunno, Bart. 'Not a playground at all!"

"S-sorry."

Ed sat down on the ledge protruding from the cab of the locomotive and hugged his knees, shivering in the cool wind passing around him. "I-I just want… I just want…"

…What _did_ he want? He wanted his friends to stop fighting. But…how?

He shivered again, but this time he noticed it wasn't from the cold. His spine and the inner reaches of his mind, he felt, both tingled.

"Ah, whotever ya be wantin', just keep quiet 'till you cin think of it. Bein' blind just means we can hear all of your li'lle children noises better."

"Y-you're blind?"

"Yep. You didn't think a couple of blind men could drive a train, now did you?"

He shook his head, and after a few seconds of no response, he realized why and said, "Uh, no." He instinctively thought of almost half a dozen comic book and movie references he could bring up that would show he thought otherwise, but for once he decided to keep them to himself.

"Welp, it don't make no difference to us, being born with it and whatnot. We just see with our ears in' hands, we do." The man tapped a knuckle on a few of the various dials, showing that none of them had a glass covering over them.

"And if we can't see with them, then the conductor or someone just has to see for us."

The boy lifted his head from his knees. "You mean if you can't do something—even something really important, like looking at things, then you're not useless?"

"What're you bloody talking about?" the man shoveling coal from a pile in the corner to either tinderbox spat. "Have you ever heard of someone thought ta' be useless for not bein able to do _one_ thing, eh?"

"No I haven't," the other man replied.

"B-but what if it was…really, _really_ important?"

"Don't matter how important it is if someone else can help or do it for ya. If that were true, then we wouldn't be sittin' here driving this nice fancy train, now would we?"

"We'd probably be just a couple a' bums on the sidewalk!" They both let out a good laugh.

"The fact that some can do things that others can't just means we must stick together all the more."

"All the more, that's right."

When it sank in, Ed smiled softly.

* * *

"Ah, vhat can I do for you?"

The conductor stood at the rail at the end of the observation car, watching the rails stretch on to the horizon in front of him almost fifty feet above the ocean below. Edd could tell that the observation car was seldom visited; not only did the crowded luggage car lie between it and the rest of the train, but the fact that it was half a room with just seats and half an open observation deck that received all of the headwind from the train rushing forward was also a strong indicator. The room portion had lights, which flickered and wavered despite how new they looked, and a strange shiver wormed its way down Edd's spine.

"I just need to get away from my so-called friends for a bit," he replied over the wind. "I am also curious about this train."

"Ah, vell, you have come to ze right man to tell you about it," the man said jovially, stepping from the rail to a nearby seat. "You see, my family has been in ze railroading industry for generations. However, I vas never a big fan of just moving around cargo or even people from place to place. I vanted to run an express, an excursion vhere ze journey _is_ze destination.

"But of course, a train must take somezing somevhere, or else it vould be pointless. So I used some of my family's fortune to have zis railroad built across ze Atlantic. I vould have a bridge that not only connected two places, but it would be a place all of its own. It vould be one that moved and traveled with zhose zhat crossed it."

"That's quite an inspiring story," Edd said, taking a seat near his. "But I'm surprised that this isn't more popular. Building a bridge that can support the weight of a locomotive of all things across one of the major oceans of the world is quite a feat. I amazed that I've never heard of it."

"Vell, it is quite new. Zis is only ze seventh run of zis train, anyvay. Ve got many news people and vatnot when it vas finished," the man said nonchalantly, "but I never liked ze news very much, and kept zem away as best I could. In fact, I kept it largely secret as much as I could, only discussing it with ze people building it and various shipping companies to plan drawbridges so zat ships could pass—"

The man squinted as his gaze fixed itself on the tracks ahead. Edd turned to see what grabbed his attention, and saw something coming into view far in front of them. It stood still on the tracks, its shape becoming more clear as the train approached it.

It was a person.

The conductor wasted no time as he scrambled to the signal cord and gave it two long tugs. Three seconds later, the train's whistles blared loudly from behind them, but the person remained still as the distance between them and the train grew shorter and shorter at a frightening pace.

"Can't you tell the engineers to stop the train?" Edd asked.

"Ve vould never be able to stop completely at zis distance," the man replied, looking ahead worriedly. "All we can do is warn him and hope he has a boat or somezing below. Why on earth is someone on ze tracks zis far out in ze ocean?"

A thought wormed its way into Edd's mind, and sent shivers through it. The boy squinted hard at the figure and saw sunlight glint off of where its head would be.

"Mister Conductor, Sir, I think we should get back a few coaches," he said, taking a hasty step toward the door. The man, sensing the sudden terror emanating from the boy, wordlessly complied, though he did look back to see the figure one last time as it broke into a sprint towards the train.

He didn't look back again.

* * *

"Stupid Jimmy. Stupid Ed. Stupid Double-D."

Muttering the same phrase under his breath repeatedly did little to help Kevin's mood, contrary to what he felt. He stared at the ceiling of the sleeping car, the comfortable softness of the bed underneath him of little consolation as he sulked.

Why did Edd have to be so stingy? "I didn't say that he didn't help us," he mumbled to to himself. He was just useless in battles, that was all.

And what did Jimmy mean by saying he didn't even want to come with them?

He sighed again, but smiled. At least he could go back home to his parents whenever he wanted. Maybe they would have answers of some sort.

A dull _thud_ suddenly boomed through the coach, causing the lights to flicker and an odd tingle to zip down his spine. Curious, he sat up and left the compartment to the hallway outside. Over the low but constant thunder of the train, he could hear grunts and screams coming from his left. He quickly hopped from the sleeping car to the luggage car and gasped as he opened the door.

Inside was the conductor laying on the floor, unconscious, Edd sprawled on his back next to him, and Helmy.

Kevin didn't hesitate to brandish his ratchet and charge at the man in the motorcycle helmet as anger at him replaced his thoughts.

Helmy swiftly dodged the boy's attacks as Kevin swung his weapon wildly around, barely missing the piles of suitcases stacked around the car. The man whispered something and held out a glowing hand. Kevin had no time to react as he felt his muscles harden and grow stiff. He fell to the floor, paralyzed, but with a shout of "PSI Healing Beta!" he quickly got to his feet just in time to receive a hard kick to the face.

The force of it pushed Kevin back and the man followed through with a charge. The two burst out of the door between the luggage coach and the observation car, and the man pushed Kevin into the gap between them.

The boy ignored his bleeding nose and the searing pain in his face as he grabbed hold of the couplings holding the cars together with his hands and legs, hanging precariously above the track thundering by below him. Struggling, he managed to pull himself up until his head was above the floor of the cars, just in time to see Helmy pull Edd onto the floor, kneel on his chest, and produce a knife that he held to the thin boy's throat.

* * *

Edd would have screamed if it weren't for the weight of fear and his soon-to-be-murderer on his stomach. He felt the sharp line of cold steel rest gently on his neck, and saw his own terrified face look back at him in the reflection of the man's heavily-tinted helmet.

He felt the blade press down, and he closed his eyes waited for the end, hoping the pain wouldn't be too great.

He waited.

And waited.

Was the man toying with him? The blade's pressure fluctuated and wavered, varying from lightly touching his skin to pressing down and daring it to rip under the pressure. But it happened so quickly. What _was_ happening? Edd opened his eyes to see that what he felt was no figment of his imagination. The knife shook up and down on his neck, in tempo with the man's trembling arm.

The mixture of terror and confusion put the boy in a daze. He saw Kevin knock the man off of him, pushing him through the door of the other end of the luggage car. He stood to see him conjure a psychokinetic flash that blinded his attacker and caused him to fall over the edge of the gap and into the ocean below. He saw his life flash before his eyes, a long chain of failed scams and strange happenings, right up to the point where he was nearly killed.

And then he fainted.


	37. A Hare Too Cold

**Chapter 37**

* * *

"Oh, my hea—"

Edd gasped and shot up, the sudden movement making his head ache and his vision go black as blood buzzed around behind his eyes. Slowly, his vision came back, and he looked around. He was in the passenger's quarters, laying on a surprisingly comfortable bed. When he realized that there was no Helmy on top him with a knife anymore, he remembered how to breathe, but his heart continued to race. He glanced at the window and saw not an ocean beyond, but a frozen tundra whipping around the train, bathed in the glow of the morning sun. He was suddenly understanding and appreciative of how warm it was in the room.

Curious, but alert, he carefully climbed down the ladder of the bunk bed and grimaced at the thought of having slept—or been unconscious for a full night, apparently—in his normal clothes. Freezing with a different grimace on his face, he wondered why he hadn't brought a change of clothes in the first place, and lightly smacked his forehead. He opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

"Hey, you're awake!"

He turned to see Kevin walking toward him, followed by Ed. "I was just about to come and check on you." He held out a hand containing a plate with scrambled eggs and bacon on it. "Here's breakfast, if you want it."

"W-why, that's very thoughtful of you," Edd admired, taking the plate from him. "But I must ask, what happened after I passed out?"

"Well, Helmy and I started fighting again, and we busted through the door. I used my Flash technique to blind him, and he fell over the edge into the ocean. After that, we took you here. You were out for the whole night."

Kevin seemed in much better spirits than Edd had last seen him, talking lightly and smiling gently. Curious, Edd voiced that thought as he nibbled on a piece of bacon.

"Well, I just felt kinda bad about our fight," the boy said. "But I thought about it the other day, and I just want to say that it's cool."

"…E-excuse me?" Edd dropped the bacon back onto his plate as a mixture of worry and disgust formed in the back of his mind. Ed, as if sensing that feeling, took a concerned step back from the two.

"I mean, I forgive you, for getting mad like that. I know it must be hard to be the only one without PSI, and—"

Edd dropped his plate on the ground.

"_You_ forgive _me_ for that fight?" He stomped forward, too furious to care about the mess of egg and porcelain under his shoe. Before Kevin could respond, he added, "How dare you denounce my utility and worth in this 'team'—if you could even call it that—and as a person and then act like it was _my_ fault for doing what any self-respecting human being would do by getting offended by it?"

Kevin took a step back as Ed took three, but he sneered, "Hey, who do you think saved your life back there?"

"I am not denying that." Edd spat back. "In fact, now we can be considered, for all intents and purposes, even,"

"Excuse-mua? When did you ever save me from something going at my throat with a knife?"

"Have you already forgotten about that god-forsaken prison out in the middle of nowhere, and how I literally busted you out of it at quite likely the cost of my very academic future?"

Kevin spat a retort. Edd countered it. Kevin brought up something else. Edd argued against it and made his own accusations. Kevin fought. Edd fought.

Ed cowered in the corner of the sleeping car hallway, watching his friends tear each other apart with increasingly harsh words. He watched them argue against one another. Who was right? Who was wrong? He didn't know. He didn't want to choose. But…did he have to?

"S-stop!" he cried softly. They didn't hear.

"Stop fighting!"

"Stay out of it, Ed!" the two screamed in unison, giving him less than a second of their attention before turning on one another again.

It was just like last time.

"I-I demand you stop—stop now!"

This time the two didn't even notice. Ed stepped toward the door, blinking mist from his eyes. He could make fire and ice. He had superpowers! But he couldn't make his friends get along. What kind of superpower could do that?

"Huh? …Oi! Oi!" Two large hands wormed their way between the two boys and forced them apart, silencing them at the same time. "There vill be no fighting amongst friends on zis train!"

Ed had never been so happy to see the conductor—or anyone, really—with such a stern face. The man was wearing a large coat over his uniform, bearing the same stylish purple and gold color scheme as the clothes under it. Kevin and Edd sneered at each other, but then turned their attention to him.

"I don't know vat you're squabbling about," he said before either one of them could talk back, "but zis vill be the last of it for the remainder of ze journey." He looked down, and grimaced at the dropped plate of eggs on the ground. "You two vill have to clean zat up later, but right now I must talk to all four of you."

He stepped towards the door leading to the dining cars, his stern face turning to one of concern when he saw Ed. Tears were streaming down the boy's face. He said nothing, but herded him with a gentle hand across the gap with the others and sat them all down at a table. He made sure to keep Kevin and Edd from sitting next to each other.

After gathering a reluctant Jimmy from the kitchen, he sat down and placed the children's tickets on the table.

"Zese are quite peculiar tickets," he said. "Normally, a ticket has the date and time of departure on it, but zese are blank. This means zat zey weren't obtained through normal measures."

"Well, like we said, we didn't purchase these ourselves," Edd explained, and then quickly sputtered, "B-but that's not to say we stole them, or anything!"

"I understand, and zat is why I am showing you zis." He placed a small envelope on the table. "A few days ago, ve found zis with a note on it. The note told us to give zis to 'a passenger or passengers with a blank ticket'. Normally ve wouldn't do zis for safety reasons, but after vat happened the other day, I'd say it might be important."

He put the envelope down, but when Edd and Kevin suddenly dove across the table for it he snapped his hand out of their reach.

"On second thought, maybe I should be ze one to open it," he sneered. The boys shot each other a glare before sitting back down. The conductor pulled apart the top of the envelope carefully, as if expecting something to pop out of it if he went too fast, and pulled out a piece of paper. Seeing nothing else inside of it, he laid the paper on the table and turned it so everyone could read.

**_If you are reading this, then you have accepted to take the Talastsbo Express to meet me. I cannot reveal who I am just yet, for the possibility of _him_ intercepting this letter._**

**_Anyway, it does not sit right with me to send someone I don't know off on such a journey with so little information. Doubly so if you are children, as I expect._**

Everyone looked up to glance nervously at each other, but nobody said a word.

**_While I cannot reveal everything, for the reasons mentioned above and the fact that it would be better if I were to tell you in person, I do wish to enlighten you on the situation that you—and the world itself—are in._**

**_The process of a living thing—be it plant, animal or human—turning blue or becoming hostile to its immediate surroundings is what you know as the "Blue Plague". It is not a mere disease. It is more like a curse, caused by PSI._**

**_I'm sure you've come up to someone who has been corrupted before, and you might have noticed that those who are affected target you more often than they do other people. This is because you or someone travelling with you possesses PSI abilities._**

Kevin puckered his mouth in thought for a few seconds, and gasped as he realized that he _did_ get attacked more than other people during his time in Lemon Brook.

**_I'm afraid to say that this Blue Plague and its effects can become permanent if one is under it for too long. What's worse is that these effects are absolutely intentional, as they serve a dual purpose: First, to take out any who posses PSI, as those who do are the most capable of reversing the plague's effects, and second, to allow the victim's mind to be controlled._**

Ed gasped in horror more loudly than anyone else.

**_Do not worry, however, as the chances of it affecting someone with PSI or a strong sense of self are very low. It is mostly those who are caught off guard or mentally unstable that are more susceptible to it._**

**_I look forward to our meeting. When you arrive at the station, you must head further into the country. I cannot tell you the exact place but trust me when I say that you _will_ find it. You may be the key to saving your world, and do not scoff at this; it has been done before and may certainly happen again._**

Everyone at the table sat in silence for a moment, everyone taking the time to absorb what they had just read.

And then they got attacked by a giant rabbit.

The car shook violently, throwing everyone out of their seat and knocking several tables over. Sprawled on the ground, Kevin looked up to see a humongous, white hare hopping alongside the train next to a large dent in the wall where it had kicked it in. Its head came up to the windows from the ground, and its eyes were bloodshot with tiny specs for pupils. The car shook and jerked back and forth, as if the cars around it were also being hit.

Kevin, confused but alert, scrambled to his feet. The glass of the windows was cracked where it wasn't completely shattered around the dent, and cold air whipped around the once-warm car. It made his eyes sting and brought in a somewhat musky scent that reminded him of a zoo.

"Vhat on earth is going on?" the conductor screamed on the floor, just as the hare made an extra high hop and kicked the coach again on its way down. Everyone except a determined Kevin clung to the floor as the coach rocked back and forth, but the boy kept his balance.

"It's rabbit season, that's what! PK Flash!"

After the sudden, intense light appeared and vanished, the hare whipped out of view as it stumbled in pain and snagged on the icy ground beneath it, forcing it to a halt while the train kept going. Kevin couldn't help but smirk to himself, but another gust of wind quickly faded the satisfaction.

"Arctic hares, that's a new one," Edd remarked as he helped a frightened Jimmy up.

"I'm allergic to bunnies, guys!" Ed cried. Edd and Jimmy gasped as they saw faint splotches of purple form on his skin and quickly backed away from him.

"Dude, those are some serious allergies!"

"You have no idea, Kevin."

Another small rumble shook the car. "I think there're more attacking further down the train," Kevin said.

"Please, help!" the conductor pleaded. He cautiously approached the wall and gave the signal cord a series of tugs. "I vill try to get us out of here as fast as we can, but we don't have any kind of defenses. Zhis is a luxury express, not a battleship!" he said, half-jokingly. He wore a confused yet strangely calm face, as if he didn't entirely believe this was happening. Kevin didn't blame him in the slightest.

"I'm on it." Kevin opened the door towards the sleeping cars and winced as a blast of icy air hit him.

"Take zis," the man insisted, taking off his large coat and holding it out. "You three stay here if you can. Without a coat, you'll freeze trying to cross. I'll get more for you and the other passengers in ze luggage car."

He hopped the gap and helped Kevin across.

The two made their way down the train, which got more and more beat and battered with each passing coach, much to the conductor's horror. He checked every room, urging terrified passengers to stay away from the windows and keep calm. Upon spotting another giant hare out the window, Kevin used PK Flash again and this time it disintegrated into nothing. The conductor stumbled in shock, but the boy grabbed his arm and told him to keep going.

Soon, they consoled the last of the passengers. "I know zhis isn't ze best time for zhis," the man said as they made their way down an empty car, "but I must ask in case the opportunity passes. Why vere you and your friend fighting back zhere?"

"He's just being a total dork right now," the boy replied without losing speed. "He's all mad and uppity about how he doesn't have PSI and can't fight."

"Well, I know it's been a large part of your adventure so far." The man paused as they opened the door and hopped the gap. When the roar of the wind was blocked off by the next door, he continued, "But do you really sink zhat fighting is the only thing zhat matters?"

"Well, it matters right now!"

He took down another hare in the same fashion as the first two, and then another before reaching the luggage car at last. Despite the creeping fear of something happening to the train to make it stop, Kevin felt confident with his ability to protect it, and mentally laughed at Edd for denouncing his powers. The conductor unlocked an emergency cabinet and took supplies while Kevin grabbed as many thick coats as he could.

"Even if you fight a lot, you should try and see zhe situation from his point of view. Vhat would you do if you had no PSI?"

Kevin froze in the middle of piling coats in his arms. The thought burrowed itself into his mind under the pretense of a simple question, but the more he considered it, the less of an answer he could think of.

"Not to mention your other friend, who's caught up in zhe middle of it. You both should think about how your attitude affects zhose around you."

"You mean Ed?" Another confusing thought wormed its way through his thoughts, and decided to pick a fight with the first one over which Kevin should consider first. Frustrated, he shook his head free of both thoughts and walked toward the door with whatever he could carry. "Let's just get back to the others."

They made their way back through the train, stopping to give passengers emergency supplies and warm clothes. Many of the cars were dented and beaten, and cold air through cracked or broken windows whipped at Kevin's face and threatened to never let it become warm again.

"Put up your hood," the conductor demanded. Kevin complied, but he was careful not to let it cover up his Franklin Badge. He wasn't sure why.

At last, they reached the dining cars. The Eds and Jimmy crouched near the center, huddled against each other—quite begrudgingly, due to Ed's stench—for warmth. Kevin quickly passed them coats and thick pants and they got dressed just in time for one last hare to nearly knock the cart off the rails.

The thing's kick burst the wall in completely, and it grabbed onto the edges of the hole with clawed hands to rip it open wider.

"That's it! PK Riding!"

As Kevin sent out a familiar blast of energy, something flickered in his mind that demanded all of his attention. When he tried to reach it, however, it vanished, as if it were a faint memory that had just escaped his grasp.

He had little time to wonder what it was, however, when he came back to reality in time to see the hare jump over the car onto the other side with not a scratch on it.

"W-what?…What?" The boy darted his gaze between the hare and everyone else, an expression of complete disbelief plastered on his face. "It _dodged_ it?"

"Now is not zhe time to be worrying about zhat!"

"Oh, you're going down this time," Kevin sneered at the creature. "PK Riding!"

The flicker happened again, slightly stronger this time, blackening and muting everything around him except for the multicolored energy bursting from him. It still only hung on the edge of his mind, however, and disappeared again when he tried to reach for it.

The hare dodged the attack again, and Kevin screamed in frustration.

"I'm really allergic to rabbits, guys!"

"We know, E—" Everyone gasped and took a step back from Ed as the purple spots on his skin grew darker and he began to swell all over. The hare itself even seemed taken aback, but it quickly resumed tearing through the coach until Kevin fired a third attack and finally hit it.

"Goodness sake, Ed! You didn't even touch the darn thing!"

"Uh-oh! Help!" The boy swelled even further, and began to float off the floor of the car like a parade balloon.

"Quick! We need to tie him down!" Edd screamed. The air blasting through the place pushed against Ed, moving him toward the hole in the wall.

"Ed!" Kevin, Jimmy and Ed all jumped to grab hold of the boy, but by the time they had a firm grip they found themselves flung out of the Talastsbo Express and into the icy skies of the Arctic.


	38. Freezing and Breaking Points

**Chapter 38**

* * *

"Ed, you have got to get some serious allergy meds!"

Kevin clung to a swollen leg with all his might as the blimp-shaped Ed flew higher and higher away from the train. Edd and Jimmy had managed to clamber around to the top of his body and hang near his head, both trying to ignore the disgusting welts and gigantic purple spots underneath them. The icy tundra wind bit at the children through their thick coats as they were tossed around in the air.

"Hang on! This cold should start reducing the swelling quickly!" Edd called, trying to keep sight of the train. Its image quickly blurred into a yellow glow in the distance as white air engulfed it.

As predicted, Ed's back began to shrink at a rapid pace, and they sank to the earth quickly. Ed had enough horizontal momentum to plow through the snow and scrape his knees along the ice underneath, and the four of them soon tumbled along the frosty ground.

When he managed to get to his feet, Kevin groaned, "I'll never understand how allergies can do that to someone."

"For once I agree with you," Edd remarked coldly as he helped Jimmy up out of the snow. "Though to protect my sanity, I've learned not to question even the most basic definitions of logic and physics as they apply to Ed."

"I'm allergic to bunnies, Double-D."

"We know, Ed." Edd, after brushing the thick snow from his coat, looked around. White. In all directions, everything was white. He couldn't remember in what direction he saw the train from in the air, and if there were any landmarks to identify, they were well hidden in the blizzard. He had to strain his eyes to pick up the slightest hint of contrast, but he could barely differentiate the sky from the icy ground below. "We know."

"W-where is the train?" Jimmy asked, shivering as wind swirled around him. The integrity of his coat held up to keep him fairly warm, but he could feel the cold slowly creeping through it.

"Where's anything?"

Kevin opened his mouth, but he felt a sickening series of rumbles shake his feet. A slight musk filled nostrils, and he dove out of the way before he even realized what was charging at him. Rolling through the snow and ignoring the sudden chill on his neck as some of it found its way inside his collar, he looked up to see a polar bear the size of a mammoth before him. It slid along the ground as it tried to change direction, roaring in anger at having missed its target.

The bear's fur was white, making it hard to see in the blank around it, but the unruly tangles and unnatural spikes it formed around the thing's body were a clear indication that it was not natural. The monster turned and glared at the children with wild eyes, sending a shiver of fear down Kevin's spine amongst the numerous chills of cold.

Kevin brandished his ratchet and charged, but the bear stood on its hind legs and swatted at him. Pain rocketed through his body as he flew through the air, and his fear immediately began to boil into rage.

"PK Riding!" He ignored the feeling of familiarity just as he ignored the buzzing pain in his side, and focused only on squeezing as much energy as he could into the wave. He felt the attack hit the bear with full force and then some as Ed hit it with a blast of flame.

"Kevin, look out!"

A glimpse of fur was all the boy saw when he turned around right before it rammed into him and reminded him of the broken bones wailing in pain inside him. The sight of another monster hare boiled his blood in anger, but the pain was great enough that he begrudgingly took his attention away from it to heal himself. He scrambled to his feet and summoned up the energy for a PK Flash, but then a sudden stroke of rationality managed to worm its way through his rage.

_**PK Brainshock is a useful but very dangerous ability, one of my personal unfavorites. Instead of doing physical harm, this attack temporarily alters the mind of the target, taking away its ability to distinguish between friend and foe. The ability can even cause an enemy to attack itself somehow, though how that is even possible in some cases where it's been observed is beyond me.**_

Shaping his energy in a different way, Kevin let it flow out of his body rather than burst and watched as the hare swayed from side to side in rhythm to it. The energy stopped, and the thing growled in fury. To everyone's surprise, however, it suddenly turned and charged toward the mad polar bear. It kicked the beast, which fought back in confused fury.

"S-since when could you do that?" Edd asked in amazement.

"I learned it a while back," Kevin panted, the distraction of his life in peril wearing off to remind him that he was still in pain. "Didn't think to use it till now."

"That's scary," Jimmy lamented, watching the two beasts battle amongst each other. He huddled next to Ed, and shrank behind the large boy.

"That's why I didn't want to use it."

"Can you teleport us back to the train?" Ed asked. He shifted his attention nervously and haphazardly between Kevin and the two monsters. They exchanged blows of powerful bites and scratches, and soon one of them was going to win.

"Yea, get behind me," Kevin replied. With the other three lined up behind him, he broke into a sprint and concentrated. He felt the pull of the tunnel through space increase his speed as he more slid along the ice than ran as the now-familiar gargling noise rang through the windy air. Though the snowflakes stinging his face, he could see the train through the rift, battered and bruised, but still gliding along the tracks as fast as possible.

His vision was suddenly replaced with a wall of fur, and he only had time to gasp as he ran straight into the polar bear.

_Boom!_

A more-than-uncomfortable wave of heat flickered around his body on the impact, and it instantly turned into a layer of black soot around him. He turned to see the others blackened against the snow of the area, including a frightened yet normal-sized snow hare, and he almost let out a laugh as he noticed that the polar bear got stained with some ash as well.

He almost laughed, because before he could let it out, the bear swung a massive paw at him. It knocked him into the air and out of consciousness.

* * *

Jimmy did not want to be here.

It was cold. It was dangerous. There were monsters everywhere. Why on earth was he here?

He watched Kevin get launched into the air. High. So high up. And then the boy began to fall back down, head first. Ice was below.

Fear zipped through him. If Kevin were to hit that ice…

He felt nauseated. He didn't want to picture that image. But it would become a reality soon. In just a few seconds, which were ticking away with each beat of his heart, closing in on him as if the moment would crush him into nothing.

His arms suddenly lifted up on their own, pointing at the ice. He hardly realized it, as the fear of seeing Kevin hit the ground turned into a spark. He couldn't see it, but he felt as it fluttered through his thoughts and landed in the back of his mind, on a cage he had constructed to keep the monster that lurked in the depths of his head from reaching his consciousness. As if it were made of wood, it burst into a bright flame in an instant and dissipated just as quickly. The thing he had been restraining burst forth through his body and out of his outstretched hand.

_Melt the ice. Make his landing softer. Save your friend._

The chaotic thoughts and feelings that were zipping around through the boy's mind almost ripped him away from consciousness, but he stayed terrifyingly lucid as he watched a jet of flame burst from his hand onto the frozen ground below Kevin. In almost an instant, the ice turned into a rapidly growing circle of water, which then began to steam.

Jimmy watched Kevin land in the water with a great splash, and, seeing that his fear did not become a reality, gave into his exhaustion and fainted.

With absolutely no orientation and the firm belief that he was unconscious, he wondered how he could feel his legs moving from underneath him. His eyes were open—slightly—and he could hear everything around him—partially—but his brain insisted that he wasn't awake, and gave Jimmy no control over his body. He felt Edd carry him toward the newly-formed pond, wrapping the boy's arm around his neck so he could stumble along. The other Ed dove into the steaming water in a blurry flash and surfaced an indeterminate time later with Kevin, both coughing and sputtering and gasping as the freezing air chilled the lukewarm water on their skin.

_Safe. He's safe. Thanks to you. Thanks to my power._

Suddenly frightened by the voice inside his head, Jimmy felt it was a good idea to stop being unconscious and promptly woke up.

* * *

Kevin coughed. He then gained enough consciousness to realize that there was still water in his lungs, so he coughed again. He then realized that he was somehow coughing water out of his lungs, and opened his eyes to see what on earth was going on.

He felt himself get pulled through the strangely-warm water by Ed, and then felt icy air whip at his face. He shook his head and swam on his own, though the larger boy refused to let him entirely out of his grasp. The mixture of warm water and freezing wind distracted him from questioning what was going on, but as he reached the edge of the pond that stretched up two feet above the water, he began to wonder why he was even in there in the first place.

He clawed at the wall, a sudden panic adding to the mixture of adrenaline pumping through his body. Ed finally let go of him to pull himself up with his massive strength, and then reached down to lift Kevin out as well. Both of them convulsed in their sopping wet winter clothes as they felt the heat get sucked from their bodies.  
Jimmy and Edd ran up, the former with an expression of shock and amazement and the latter with one of great concern.

"Oh god!" he said, his eyes turning in a flurry of directions as he tried to haphazardly analyze the situation around them while he danced around in worry. "Do you have any kind of 'PSI Drying' or 'Water Removal' or something? If you stay wet in those clothes—if you stay wet in this _weather_ you'll most certainly freeze to death!"

"Of course I do, along with PSI Deodorant and PK Spin Cycle!"

The two exchanged sneers just before Ed came and almost violently pushed them apart.

"Don't fight each other, fight that!" he said, pointing to the bear that was charging at them.

"Outta the way, useless," Kevin spat, stepping forward. "This is what I'd do to you if I was that kind of guy. PK Riding!"

Burning. His mind felt as if it had suddenly burst in to flames. Kevin cringed as a small wave of energy burst from him and tripping the bear in its tracks. He fell to his knees, clutching his temples through the hood of the wet coat as his mind continued seething, the void of energy so immense that it felt as if it was trying to fill itself with his very consciousness.

Looking through buzzing, sparking eyes, he watched as the bear continued its rampage with hardly a scratch until Ed rammed into it with his head, sending the massive thing flying back.

"Kevin! Are you okay?" he heard Jimmy ask.

"No, I'm not. My head feels like I just barfed in it or something—it burns." Ignoring the fact that his remark repelled the boy away from him in disgust, Kevin forced himself to stand and shivered intensely as his coat siphoned more heat from his body. "God, why did I have to land in water of all things?"

"I-I-I—" Kevin turned to Jimmy with an expectant look. "I m-made the water. F-from ice—I melted the ice so you wouldn't h-hit it!"

Ignoring the spectacle of a large beast and a proportionally much stronger boy grappling behind him, Kevin asked, "You mean you used PK Fire?"

"I-I have no idea how—"

"Way to go, now you're a step above Double-Dork," he said brightly before sneering at Edd, who returned it with equal malice.

"I-I think Ed needs help!" Jimmy shouted, if nothing more than to break the tension. The two boys broke from their staredown and turned just in time to see the bear knock Ed into a hill of ice, and gasped as they saw his head ram into it hard enough to cause large cracks and shards that cut into his temples.

"Ed!" The two screamed.

Suddenly, the boy burst forward, his eyes open wider than it seemed possible and his face contorted in a scowl of blind rage, and he blasted two jets of powerful flame at the monster. Edd and Jimmy cringed as the sudden heat seared toward them and Kevin felt the water begin to evaporate off of his face and clothes. The fire hit the bear straight on, the very force of it causing fur to rip off in the blast. Soon the peculiar gray smoke joined it, and Ed realized what was happening just in time to stop his attack from harming a now-innocent and frightened polar bear, which waded away from him through half-melted ice and snow.

"Woa, Ed!" Ed turned to Kevin, his scowl replaced with a look of horror.

"I-I'm—I d-didn't mean to—"

"No, that was awesome, man!" Ed almost took a step back when Kevin approached him. "You totally beat it! And you dried us out a bit in the process, too." The boy shifted around in his parka, realizing that it was only damp now instead of sopping wet.

"…I didn't mean to—I didn't want to—" He shook violently, not from the cold, but the horror of his own actions. The image of him burning the bear echoed through his mind, and he couldn't get it out.

"Oh lighten up, you saved us!" Kevin tried to hide the annoyance in his voice.

"Kevin, he's clearly disturbed at the thought of nearly roasting another living being alive, as would any decent human being," Edd spat, walking up to comfort his friend. "But the polar bear is okay, Ed. You freed it from the malevolent force that turned it into that monster."

Noticing that the air was suddenly less dense, Edd lifted his arm away from Ed's shoulder to squint at two lines of a dull, dark grey off in the distance. "Look!" he shouted, gently ushering Ed to them. The sour face Kevin made made as Edd passed by him quickly vanished as he saw the boy was heading toward a pair of metal rails on the ground. He and Jimmy quickly followed, but their excitement died down when they reached the train tracks.

"Which…which way do we go?"

Edd paused, looking for any sign of what direction the train could have headed. "Kevin, can you make another attempt to teleport?" he asked.

"No, I can't," the boy spat. "My mind feels like it got beat up and mugged and it stings the crap outta me if I try and force any PSI out."

Edd let out a sigh of frustration, shivering as a strong gust of wind passed through him, but then made a sly smirk. "Well, look who's useless _now_?" he insinuated. "Now we are surely lost without your miraculous ability to psychically inflate your ego to such a size that you could use it to crush any adversary unfortunate to be caught in its wa—"

The sudden sting of ice only complemented the blunt pain bursting in Edd's cheek as Kevin punched him in the face. He pirouetted and fell down onto the unforgiving wood planks that held the rails together, the shock making him forget to yelp in pain.

Kevin stood over him, his eyes wide open and his pupils the size of pinpricks. Ed felt a twinge of horror buzz through his head as he helplessly watched the boy kick at the writhing figure on the ground.

And then he suddenly realized that he _could_ help.

"You _dork_! I'll kill you, you son of a—"

It was Kevin's turn to feel a combination of frost and blunt force ramming him to the side before he could get another blow in on Edd. He stumbled back, and when he regained balance he saw Ed giving him a livid scowl. Part of his own anger immediately froze into fear.

"No more fighting!" the large boy shouted. "Ed will not be the friend of friends who hurt each other!"

Each word trickled fear down Kevin's spine, despite how awkward the sentence was, and he stood paralyzed as he watched Ed help his friend up. Jimmy stood far behind them, shivering in fear, but Kevin noticed he seemed distracted somehow.

While supporting a bruised Edd, Ed's legs buckled, and he knelt to the ground as his anger quickly dissipated.

"E-Ed, I…I…" Edd didn't know what to say.

"Let's just get back to the train," the large boy said with an unnerving air of seriousness. Before anyone could ask how, he stood up and began walking down the tracks.

"Wait, Ed!" Edd called. The boy stopped, and Edd reached into his coat to pull out a compass. "Our best bet is to follow the tracks in the eastern direction. We arrived from the Atlantic Ocean, and the train most likely heads deeper into Europe."

"H-how long have you had that?" Jimmy asked.

"Unlike some people I prepared—" he cut his accusation short when he felt Ed glowering at him, "err, I brought it from Chestnut Falls. A simple yet vital navigational instrument."

"What about the sexy thingy?" Kevin said without looking at Edd.

"That can measure latitude and works well with a map, but would be useless here since I can't see more than ten feet in either direction, much less be able to pinpoint any celestial object such as the sun." After an uncomfortably long pause, he added, "So I think we should go this way."

Ed turned around, and ushered everyone to go ahead of him with a gesture. They began their hike along the tracks, with Kevin and Edd in the front making sure not to make eye contact, Jimmy in the middle lost in his own thoughts, and Ed in the back keeping watch over them. Though he kept an aloof face, his anger had faded into sadness, and he wondered if he had done the right thing.

A while passed, and then another. The air thickened again, and it seemed as if the tracks were the only thing visible in the void of white swirling around the four boys. At last, Edd noticed a fleck of red in the distance, which turned into a flicker, and then a flare. And then he noticed that it really _was_ a flare, almost dead but still sparking diligently to signal their attention, and everyone quickly hustled to it.

The flare stick sat haphazardly on the tracks, and next to it was a metal box. Kevin pushed past Edd as rudely as he could to open it, and found a note inside.

**_Children, I give my deepest apologies that I have failed to keep you safe on my own express. Furthermore, I must protect the rest of the passengers as well, so we cannot stop to look for you until they are in a safe place. Further down the line, a few miles about, there is a safe house built for emergencies. Enclosed in this box is the key, as well as a few rations and extra clothing for the journey there. We will do our best to return to the safe house and pick you up as soon as possible. Please be careful out there._**

**_—The Conductor._**

"…He signs letters with his title instead of his name?" Edd remarked, earning a confused shrug from Kevin. The boys looked inside the box and found some energy bars, a first aid kid, and some extra gloves and hats. Underneath all of it was the key, which Ed quickly snatched.

"I'll open the door," he said sternly, trying to keep the unsureness out of his voice. The three others gave him a look, but said nothing.

Not another word was said as they continued their hike along the tracks, nor were there any other monsters to attack them. There was just the cold, attempting to dissuade them from taking another step for each one they took despite it. Kevin's face was numb. He blinked to hide his gaze shifting over to Edd for a second, and blinked again to look away.

_Stupid dork. Dork, dork, dorky-dork._

As he seethed, he noticed safe house up ahead. It was small and partially buried in the snow, but the black door to it stood out against everything else. Everyone waited impatiently as Ed fumbled with the key in his unsteady hand until he finally unlocked it. The four went in without a word, and Ed closed the door behind them.


	39. Unsafe House

**Chapter 39**

* * *

"Why is it so _cold_ in here?"

"Because this is a safehouse for use in emergencies only. It would be a waste of money to keep it heated for the off chance that someone would actually need it."

"M-maybe we should focus on trying to find a lightswitch first."

Kevin and Edd hushed themselves as the truth of Jimmy's statement set in. They had just now realized that it was nearly pitch-black in the freezing place, save for a small, glowing button on the wall near where they had come in. Ed pressed it, his determined sourness needed to keep his friends in line suddenly melting in the glee of seeing what it did.

With a whir of a generator somewhere humming to life, the tiny hut lit up—only for the boys to gasp in awe as they saw just how large the place really was. A stairway adjacent to a wheelchair ramp stepped a few feet down to a large mudroom. The solid-purple walls were adorned with coat hooks and hat racks, half of them already occupied with clean winter outfits. Underneath many of the coat racks were square supply chests, every other one containing a red cross on its lid. The mudroom led into an even larger dining area, where sturdy yet homely tables and chairs waited patiently to be used. As the boys walked down the stairs (sans Ed, who cheerfully summersaulted down the wheelchair ramp instead), they noticed a hallway branching from the dining room and a metal door that presumably led to a kitchen.

"Of course! This place is meant to accommodate an entire express train of refugees," Edd explained. His mood lifted as he felt warm air begin to pour from the vents lining the stairs near the wall. He inched closer to them, still able to see his breath as he exhaled.

Kevin walked a few steps behind Edd and Jimmy, miserably shivering as the warmth from the vents failed to reach him through his slightly-damp clothes. He ripped off his gloves and held his hands on the railing toward the wall, hoping to catch some of the heat rising from under it. He sneered when he saw that they were a faint shade of blue, and shook in misery. Letting his sourness get the best of him, he spat, "Good. Now I won't have to worry about bunking next to Double Dork here."

Ed straightened his body out from its once-balled-up state and flopped onto his back in a panic. He got up, steeling himself for another intervention and opened his mouth just before he was cut off by Jimmy.

"Let's just see if they have any food," the frail boy said. "I think we've had enough fighting for one day, against terrible monsters and ourselves." Edd and Kevin silently agreed, the latter making a sour face as his injuries cried out to make sure he didn't forget about them. The former looked at Ed while the boy was standing up, and quietly gasped in concern. A large, swollen welt had formed on the back of Ed's head, where it had been knocked into the ice.

Edd felt a pang of worry and guilt form in his throat; he really _couldn't_ have done anything to help his friend in that fight. His gazed turned to the floor as like thoughts began to take over his attention.

"A little something to eat should build our strength up too," Jimmy chimed. Noticing everyone's sullen behavior, he tried to lift the mood with some optimism.

"Well, _one_ of us doesn't have to worry much about _his_ 'strength'."

Edd ignored the comment.

"Man, why is it so _freezing_ in here?"

"I told you, this place wasn't built—"

"Shut up! You know what? I've had enough of your crap! You're goi_ng down_!" The series of events that followed seemed so surreal to Edd that he just dumbly watched as they unfolded. He then gasped, not just because Kevin had suddenly jumped down a few steps, knocking a surprised Jimmy aside with his elbow in the process. Not because of the fact that he had pulled out his ratchet, holding it menacingly as he approached. Not even the fact that his voice had suddenly deepened, as if a much more sinister person was talking at the same time, registered in Edd's head at first.

"K-Kevin, your f-f-face!" Edd did not know why he had chosen to suddenly point at Kevin's new pale-blue complexion. Maybe he would look at his hands and notice before it was too late, perhaps? His thought process was thrown for a loop, and he didn't know what to think of what just happened.

Things became a bit more clear to the hatted boy when Ed boldly stood between his two friends—only for Kevin to leap over him and smack the ratchet into his welt, causing the boy to fall to the floor, unconscious. It happened so quickly that Edd felt himself blink rapidly. His sense of fear telling him to faint and his sense of panic telling him to run seemed to collide with each other on their way to his brain. He stumbled dumbly to the side just as Kevin's ratchet buried itself in the wall where his head had been.

It was definitely too late.

Edd scrambled from the base of the stairwell into the mudroom. Was he having a nightmare? His eyes darted to Ed's unconscious body at the base of the stairs, and then Jimmy's. The boy had sprawled over the railing and fallen at least seven feet onto the hard tile floor below. Edd then looked back at the attacker. Kevin's face was a deeper blue than just a few seconds before. His pupils looked like pinpricks in two somewhat-frozen lakes, darting madly around his eyes as if they were barely able to focus on one thing for more than an instant. That didn't make the fact that he was staring directly at the Edd any less unnerving.

"Kevin, please get a hold of yourself!"

Edd's call went unheard, and he dove out of the way of the ratchet once again. This time, it caught itself within the tile floor, and Edd wasted none of the precious time earned from Kevin trying to pull it back out. He dashed madly toward the supply chests underneath the coat hangers. Ignoring one with the red cross, despite his immediate desire to give his friends medical attention, he opened the box next to it and the first thing that caught his eye was a collapsible shovel. It was in three pieces, with a handle, a long, hollow tube, and a sturdy metal blade.

The boy grabbed them and twitched as he heard the sound of a heavy object whistling through the air behind him. Adrenaline fueling his reaction speed, he twitched again and dove out of the way of Kevin's weapon.

A sudden sting rocketed up Edd's arm and he let out a yelp of pain as the ratchet connected with his elbow. He head and felt a sickening crunch of bone, but his panic wouldn't let him dwell on it as he found his legs scrambling to get him to safety. He dove through the dining room and through the metal door, the pieces of the shovel in hand.

The kitchen was fairly small, with a large counter in the center underneath a rack holding various pots, pans and other cooking utensils. Wasting no time, Edd cornered around to the side of the counter facing away from the door and crouched behind it as he quickly tried to assemble the shovel. His elbow cracked and cried in pain as he tried to screw on the handle to the back of the rod, and then the blade to the front, but with the help of his rapidly-beating heart and imminent terror the boy managed to ignore it.

He stood up just in time to see the door burst open. The possessed Kevin charged into the room, and Edd held out the shovel with his good—albeit fiercely-trembling—hand. The blue-skinned boy brandished his weapon so hard that it whistled through the air on its way toward Edd's body. Edd quickly took a step back and held up his shovel—only for the ratchet to knock the blade clean off, leaving him with a hollow tube and a handle on the back.

Edd backed up some more in a panic, and felt the startling feeling of a solid cupboard behind him, preventing him from putting any more distance between him and his crazed attacker. Kevin swung his wrench again and this time he missed by his own fault, ripping through the thin, metal cupboard door beside Edd to reveal a few bottles of spices behind it. With a sudden mixture of blazing reaction and rational thought, Edd quickly swiped one of the bottles and popped off the lid. Kevin freed his weapon and prepared to swing again, only to get an eyeful of some sort of red spice.

"Oh god, I hope that isn't harmful in the long term," Edd sputtered to himself as he scrambled away from the boy writhing on the floor, covering his eyes and screaming. He noticed the ratchet lying on the floor next to Kevin, and quickly picked it up.

"This should bring you back to your senses," he whispered as he readied the weapon. However, his arms suddenly began to shake violently, making pain erupt in his broken elbow, and he cringed. He gripped the tool in his good hand, but suddenly found it much heavier. There was no way he'd be able to swing it hard enough to incapacitate Kevin, he figured; knowing his luck as an 'Ed', it would probably just make him even more violent.

Edd took a step back, preparing to run should Kevin recover. The red spice powder on the boy's face almost made a sickening dark purple against his skin as he continued to thrash about senselessly. Suddenly, an idea formed in the smart boy's head, but he grimaced. The excitement that normally came with a newly-formed idea suddenly clashed with the horror of the inspiration behind it.

While he still had time, he quickly escaped from the kitchen in silence and sprinted back to the mudroom. Ed was still unconscious at the base of the stairs. Edd gasped as he saw a small puddle of blood beginning to form around Jimmy's head where he had landed. Using his fear of Kevin coming back with a vengeance to force away the urge to open one of the medical boxes and treat them right then and there, Edd dove into a supply box instead.

"Come on, come on," he chanted, tossing unneeded pairs of gloves and survival supplies left and right, trying not to cringe as everything landed on the floor behind him in such a haphazard and messy way. Finally, he sighed in relief and excitement as he found four packets of air-activated glove warmers and a flint strike. Perfect.

**~αααα~**

Kevin hated that dork. He hated him so much. The stupid powder stinging his eyes kept him from killing that stupid, stupid dork. He hated that powder in his eyes.

He slapped and clawed at his face, trying to get the stuff off. After enough thrashing, the pain eventually lightened up. He could see again, and stood up off the floor. Now it was time to beat that dork into the—

Where was his weapon?

He screamed in frustration. That _dork_! That stupid, stupid dork! Kevin whipped his head around, looking for something else to kill his prey with. He spotted a frying pan and instantly reached for it—only to hesitate, as for some reason it didn't seem…_right_, somehow.

He screamed in anger at the sudden feeling, and grew even more angry. A glint of something metal caught his eye, and he got angry at it as well. He turned toward the thing, and smiled a devilish grin. He had found a knife.

**~αααα~**

Edd tried to control his breathing. He failed, and breathed quickly and heavily anyway. He looked at his so-called "brilliant" idea as he held it in his hand: Kevin's ratchet, with the handle stuffed up to the head into the tube of the collapsible shovel with its own handle converted into a makeshift plunger. It certainly wasn't anything to look at. It hadn't even been tested yet. Edd breathed heavily. Breathed as if it was his last. He gripped the tube harder, which was almost too hot to touch. The chemicals from the hand warmers inside it were doing their job well.

Kevin burst through the door as expected, even more furious than before. His eyes were red and puffy from the spice, staring bloody daggers at Edd. In his hand was the largest steak knife Edd had ever seen.

"N-now Kevin, I kn-know you're angry at me," Edd stammered. He hoped he wouldn't have to find out if his invention would work or not. "A-and I'm s-s-sorry for wh-what I said. I take everything back!" In one trembling hand, he held the tube of the shovel with the ratchet pointed at Kevin. In the other, he held the shovel's handle, ready to push it—and the flint strike hastily attached to it—further into the tube.

Kevin didn't say anything. He simply charged at the boy with the knife in hand.

Edd slammed the handle in and watched in amazement the spectacle that followed.

**~αααα~**

_Blam!_

The sudden loud noise would've made Kevin even angrier at the dork that caused it—if it had not blasted a hunk of metal right at his head.

_Whack!_

Pain erupted around Kevin's forehead and rocketed through his body. He screamed and clasped his hands over it, opening his eyes—forcing them open. To really open. Through the blur of pain, he saw Edd, holding a charred, smoking metal tube as if it were some sort of makeshift gun. He saw Jimmy, and the drying pool of blood around his limp body. He saw Ed, the welt on the back of his head bleeding and mutilated.

Oh _god_.

If Edd had said "Kevin, wait!" as he hobbled up the stairs and leaped out of the door into the cold to distance himself as much as possible from his friends, he didn't entirely register it. Everywhere, he could feel the evil closing back in around him. Suffocating him. _Suggesting_ to him.

_Hate. Despise. Destroy. Kill._

Any adjective in his vocabulary to describe his former anger blared in his head. It was so loud that he screamed just to try to block it out with raw fear. He ignored the snow pelting against his face and bare hands as he stumbled in the darkness of the blizzard. What have I done? What would I have done? He broke into a drunken sprint and felt tears make icy streams down his face as he ran. Gone. Oh god, my parents. My friends. My bike. Gone!

A light.

Kevin froze as he felt something dissolving through the darkness around his head. Like the pain of taking a ratchet to the face, it blotted out the evil and allowed him to think clearly—only without any actual pain. It pulled him—or rather, it guided him, through the snow. He stumbled towards it, his tears beginning to freeze in his eyes as he looked back in his memories saw everything he had done—and realized what he had been trying to do.

Oh god.

He hobbled faster. His forehead buzzed with pain, with the stinging of icy air pelting his face causing it to crescendo with each labored step. He couldn't see anything with his eyes; they were wet and they stung and it had gotten surprisingly dark in the few minutes they had entered the safehouse. However, he could feel something off in the distance in his mind. It cut through the darkness that was trying to pull him back into a murderous frenzy, along with the horrified thoughts of what he had done buzzing through his head.

It wasn't bright, so much as it was strong. It felt pure and raw, almost innocent even. For some reason, through the panic of having tried to hurt his friends and the frenzy he was in to get as far away from them as possible, a memory played in his head. It was a faint memory, of an orchestra concert his parents had once made him go, a long time ago. He remembered an odd feeling stirring within him as the musicians warmed up, playing chords without melodies, building up unfocused energy that reverberated around the concert hall. It felt like that energy could suddenly form into any song he could imagine, if only it had a shape to take…

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted, as something hard slammed into his side, and for the second time that day, Kevin was knocked unconscious. For the first time however, as he worried before he completely blacked out, his friends weren't around to save him.

Kevin was going to die, cold and alone.


	40. In Each Other's Shoes

**Chapter 40**

* * *

"….-vin? Kevin? Wake up!" A sudden burst of pain forced Kevin back into consciousness as his body rolled over. It was quickly replaced by a cold, wet feeling on his cheek.

"Ow! Again with the fish?—" Kevin's eyes popped open as he suddenly realized that he actually was not, in fact, dead. He sat up and instantly regretted it, a fierce migraine bursting in his mind. Pain buzzed around his head, making his vision turn black. He clamped a hand to the wet part of his face, and instead of feeling trout-slime on his cheek, he felt a few flecks of snow. Something strange and rough near the top of his temples caught his attention, but he couldn't tell what it was from feel alone. It was only then that he remembered to breathe and then to wonder where, exactly, he was.

He looked around, trying to see through the thinning vale of blackness as his headache reluctantly died down. His sense of touch came into focus faster, and he realized that there was no more wind pelting at his face and hands. He quickly lifted his arms to feel around him, and they hit what felt like a brick wall covered in a fur coat.

"Ed, is that you?" he asked.

"You betcha!"

Comfort washed over Kevin's body, helping to blot out some of the pain of his pounding head. His vision had finally cleared, and he looked around to find that the two boys were in a small, purple tent. It shook and rippled as the fierce winds from outside hit it, but it stayed firm on the ground. As his sense of hearing came into focus, he heard—and felt—-small quakes and rumbles from outside that speckled the chorus of wind. He also heard something faint but familiar contrasting both sounds, like voices of some sort in the distance.

A small lantern held in Ed's hands lit up the place. Kevin suddenly felt a brush of cold as the sleeping bag he was laying in slipped down from his chest. He wasn't wearing his coat anymore—or any clothing above his pants for that matter, and he quickly laid back down and burrowed back into the warm bag.

"What happened?" he asked. Ed stammered something incomprehensible, as if nervous of the thought of explaining himself. Kevin ignored him, holding his head. Once again, he felt the rough _something_ above his ears. He traced it around the back of his neck and then up to his forehead, which stung when he felt it. It was a bandage.

Suddenly, vague memories of blind fury and fear flashed through his head like a television rapidly cycling through channels before they could appear fully on the screen. He looked up at Ed's face for the first time. The boy had a bandage wrapped around his head, too. Several bandages.

Oh god.

"I…I did something really messed-up, didn't I?" Sheer exhaustion was the only thing keeping the boy from trying to run away again as panic built up inside him. The fear of hurting Ed—hurting Ed _again_-was more prominent now that he was fully aware. The calls of the darkness and the strange, orchestral energy that cut through it were no longer Kevin's reality while the rest of the world was merely an afterthought, as he had perceived them earlier. They had switched places now, and he felt both a relief at being lucid again and a curious longing for that strange, horrible, _wonderful_ reality that now felt like a distant memory.

"We're all okay now," Ed said, saving Kevin from his thoughts.

"Where's Double-D? And Jimmy?" Their absence was the new thought plaguing Kevin's mind, worry and dread filling within him.

"They're out…um…fighting," the large boy replied. It was clearly as strange for him to say as it was for Kevin to hear.

"What?" Kevin tried to sit up again but his chest merely strained and went slack from exhaustion. "Why are they fighting something? …_What_ are they fighting?" He looked over to the side of the tent and realized what the far-off voices and struggling quakes must be. The question of how he became unconscious in the first place formed in his mind, and he remembered the thing that had slammed into him. He gulped in fear.

"When we found you, there was this _huge_ ice monster thing and it attacked us!" Ed explained enthusiastically. "Double-D said 'Ed, get Kevin to safety!' and I said 'Okie-dokey!' and I grabbed you before the thing could stomp on us and Double-D quickly patched you up and built this tent and said 'I'll hold it off! Ed you stay and watch Kevin,' and—"

"Okay, okay, I get it. You're making my headache come back." Ed stopped talking and apologized, averting his gaze. Kevin felt a pang of guilt, and hesitantly asked, "Why were you guys looking for me? After…what I did…"

Ed didn't hesitate to open his mouth to reply, but he made a slight pause before saying, "Because you're our friend, and you needed our help."

Kevin didn't know whether to stay quiet or cry. Somehow, he found himself doing both as he pulled the sleeping bag over his face.

A strange feeling sprinkled over him, and he lowered the bag just enough so he could see. Ed's hands hovered over his head, glowing a faint green. Instinctively, Kevin put a hand over his bandage, and felt the bump on his head shrink slightly.

"Y-you can use Lifeup?"

Ed nodded. "Not as good as you. When I woke up, Jimmy was hurt really bad. We all were, but Jimmy was bleeding the most."

Kevin averted his gaze, knowing all too well what Jimmy and the others had looked like when he last saw them.

"I felt so useless. Double-D quickly went to patch him up, and I couldn't do anything. But I thought really hard—thought about Lifeup, and making his wounds go away, and I wanted it. I wanted it so bad, to help, and then…I dunno, but I did it. And now I can do it." The boy smiled, a sincere, bright smile that Kevin hadn't seen since they left Peach Creek. "And it feels good. You can do it better than me, so you're really lucky."

"I…I never thought of it like that." A sudden, particularly large quake got his attention, and he found the energy to sit up again and say, "Double-D and Jimmy need our help!"

His head protested the sudden movement with an ache. Kevin tried to heal himself, but still felt low on mental energy. Looking around, he found his shirt and coat placed with care on the other side of the tent. Ed noticed, and handed them to him. He quickly got dressed, and the two boys left the safety of the tent to see what was happening outside.

Only a few steps from the tent, Kevin couldn't believe what he saw before him. Edd and Jimmy were up ahead, fighting the biggest monster he had ever seen. The thing was made of ice, towering above the two boys on four jagged, pillar-like legs jutting out from its glacier of a body. It almost looked like a wooly mammoth, if mammoths were three times as large, made of ice and had a long, bulky tail. It roared in anger at the children standing beneath it. Its face was almost like that of a dragon, sinister and bulky. It had a thick, long chin of frost and no eyes, but its rage was evident in its furious bellows.

The giant ice monster wasn't anything out of the ordinary for the kinds of things Kevin had fought, intimidating as it was. The thought of how disturbing it was for it to be _in the ordinary_ for him was pushed aside for later, for a spectacle played out in front of him.

The monster lifted one of its massive legs and slammed it down. It crushed the ground beneath it where a surprisingly swift Edd had stood but a few moments ago. The boy had dove out of the way, and scrambled to put distance between himself and the monster's other leg. A chill went up Kevin's spine as hundreds of images of his friend failing to get away in time and getting crushed suddenly filled his head, and he found himself rooted to the ground in fear.

Those thoughts abruptly ended when a sudden warmth hit his face. He looked to see Jimmy casting a strong PK Fire on the beast's body. It melted away, forming a gaping hole in its midsection. The boy relented, and suddenly a whirlwind of snow formed around the hole, filling it back up with solid ice. It was just about to heal fully when something slammed into it from underneath and shattered large chunks of ice away from the thing's stomach.

Kevin's attention snapped back to Edd, who held up a strange device. From a distance, it looked like it had a handle and a barrel like a gun, but it looked more like a hairdyer. He could spot several strands of tape and various parts attached to it, not too dissimilar to the various inventions the smart boy used to make. Jutting from the end of the barrel was a long, thin scissor extension, studded with large springs along it. He followed it with his eyes all the way to the creature's re-damaged stomach, uttering a soft, "No way." He turned back to Edd, who, with a motion of his hand, made it retract rapidly. At the end of the scissor extension was a conglomeration of knives attached to the outside of a large, heavy-looking cooking pot.

Without hesitation, Edd adjusted his aim—which involved using his other arm to support the pot—and fired the weapon again. The knife-pot launched away from him at an amazingly quick speed. Kevin noticed the force of it knocking the boy on his back as the projectile smashed back into the monster's body. Jimmy quickly followed up on the attack with another burst of flame, and the behemoth let out a roar of pain.

Feeling another presence close by, he realized that Ed was still standing next to him. "Why aren't you helping?" he asked, shocked.

Ed shook his head. "I used up all my power healing them. And you. And you can't get too close to it or it freezes you, so there's nothing we can do."

Kevin felt his breath leave him. He went back to watching Edd and Jimmy fight. _Edd_ and _Jimmy_. Fighting, while all he and Ed could do was watch helplessly from the sidelines. His legs trembled from underneath him, as if merely standing up was a challenge. His mind felt numb. He was still out of PSI—

_"Even if you fight a lot, you should try and see zhe situation from his point of view. Vhat would you do if you had no PSI?"_

He had found out the answer. He would end up falling to his knees, and burying his head in his hands.

**~αααα~**

"Jimmy, try aiming for its legs! Its legs!"

_You heard the man._

Jimmy felt the voice in his head buzz, and he moved his arms into position quickly as the energy built up again. He hated this part, where that energy burst through his body and out of his hands, forming large jets of fire in front of him. It was energizing, but at the same time terrifying. He ignored the feeling, trying to stay focused on the behemoth whose legs he was currently aiming at.

The thing stumbled as one of its legs began to melt. Its regeneration powers were focused on healing its body, so the leg was left unprotected. The monster was smart, however, used the momentum of its stumble to swing its massive tail around, nearly hitting Edd as the boy dove out of the way.

_Quick, go for the tail!_

"But what if it doesn't melt in time?" Jimmy asked out loud in a panic.

_Don't worry, I'll give you plenty of juice. Just do it!_

He swung his hands to his left just as the monster was beginning to lose balance. The fire blasted from him with a sudden burst of intensity. The flame hit the tail hard enough for it to almost instantly form into a fine mist. Ignoring the cold spray on his face, Jimmy dashed towards Edd and, upon another command, simultaneously continued to burn the monster's leg.

He couldn't discern exactly what the voice sounded like, but Jimmy could feel it communicating with him as a strange, almost devious presence in his mind. He remembered the exchange they had when he was knocked unconscious back in the safehouse:

_This is bad. That boy has lost control of his actions._

"W-who, Kevin?"

_Yes._

"W-who are you, anyway? Or…What are you? How did you get in my head?"

_Calm down. I've been here the whole time. Your whole life._

"Are-are you my conscience?"

_Not quite. Think of me as your PSI. I've been sleeping dormant inside of you for quite a while. But now you need my power, and I shall grant it to you._

Despite his unease at it, the thing did allow him to use his powers—_somehow_—and its orders were splashes of common sense in the heat of panic during the fight. The fact that neither Kevin, Ed, nor Caroline mentioned any sort of voice controlling _their_ powers disturbed him a little.

Approaching Edd, he cast those thoughts aside as he helped his friend get back up.

**~αααα~**

"Kevin…"

Ed's voice barely reached the boy over the roar of wind and his muffled sobs. He clenched his teeth; he was acting like a wuss, and yet the tears wouldn't stop. He managed to look up from his gloves to continue watching the fight before him.

Jimmy had burned completely through the monster's leg, and it fell over with a mighty quake. The two boys took the opportunity to relentlessly beat it down. Wherever Edd's weapon broke through the ice, Jimmy would blast at it with his fire. The swirling wind seemed to struggle to keep up as it healed whatever injury the two inflicted, but it was as relentless as they were.

Kevin watched as the monster lifted its tail up high into the air, and gasped as he realized that the two boys were too preoccupied to notice. It swung through the air, ready to crush both of them in the snow. Before he or Ed could shout a warning, however, something flew through the air and crashed right though the appendage.

Kate, recognizable only by her black hair blowing around the hood of her parka, ran up to Edd and Jimmy and caught a frying pan that fell gracefully from above.

"Are you two alright?" asked a familiar, wonderful voice. Kevin got up from his knees, wiping his numb cheeks in case any tears remained visible on it, and turned to see the conductor's face framed in a thick parka hood.

"Y-yea." It felt hard to speak, and his voice cracked.

"We're okey-dokey artichokey!" Ed said cheerfully, "But Jimmy and Double-D need help!"

"We're fine," Kevin managed to say with a bit more confidence, though he cringed at how late it came.

"I'd ask vhy you're all not at zhe safehouse," the man said, "but, given your past experiences, it's a safe bet that you have a really good excuse." Before Kevin could say anything, the conductor smiled, and pushed something next to him. "I believe zhis belongs to you," he said.

Finally looking away from the man's face, Kevin looked down to see his bike. He gasped, and quickly pulled it toward him.

"Y-you—"

"I know zhis isn't zhe best place to go riding it around, but I figured you should have it by your side."

Once again, Kevin felt his breath leave him. Gripping the handles of his bike, the wonderful, familiar feeling of rubber on his hands, he looked around. Edd and Jimmy, even Kate…they were fighting in his place. They were fighting for him! And Ed, and the conductor…they were saving him. Pulling him out from the darkness, fighting for him in a different way.

The emotion whirled through him, making his body tremble. It was stronger than anything he had ever felt before, bright and pure. Suddenly, it made something click in his mind. The world began to fade, and his vision went to black.

_PSI Offense Up is another literal translation from the aliens' language, and it fits the description of the ability perfectly. When used on a target, it tightens one's muscles and causes an adrenaline-like effect, making their physical and psionic strength increase. Like the shield ability, it can be cast multiple times for greater effect. It is useful for when the caster has allies on his or her side, allowing them to fight more effectively or use the additional strength for other purposes._

_PSI Defense Up is similar to the ability above. Instead of strengthening one's muscles, however, this ability hardens skin and bones and increases resilience and stamina. In its Omega form, a single caster can use it on a multiple number of allies at once, making one who can use it invaluable for combat or survival situations._

_Kevin felt the wind rush past his face and through the opening in his cap as he sped down the road. His bike glided under him as he pedaled effortlessly on it. He felt the world move around him as he stood perfectly still, the wheels on his bike spinning in place as the ground sped past under them. Everything turned into a blur as he raced down the road and into the light, where his friends stood waiting for him._

Kevin sprinted forward and hopped onto his bike, charging toward the monster with a newfound strength. He sped past the surprised faces of Edd and Jimmy and the curious face of the chef. When he closed the distance, he jumped off his bike and held his hands out in front of him.

This thing was going down.


	41. Melting of Ice

**Chapter 41**

* * *

"PK Riding Beta!"

Kevin thrust his arms forward and concentrated with all his might, steeling himself for the surge of power to be released as it—

As it …did nothing. Kevin blinked.

"I-I said, PK Riding Beta!"

Nothing.

And then it hit him.

"I …I'm still out of PSI?"

The embarrassment began to set in. He could feel the confused glares of everyone behind him piercing his back. Even the ice monster had stopped writhing on its side, and lay disturbingly still in front of him as he held out his pose—which seemed ridiculous now, with his head bent down and his arms outstretched in front of him. Kevin felt his face turn bright red, and was suddenly glad that the thing in front of him did not have eyes.

"Um, Kevin? Are you …o-okay?" he heard Edd call from behind, nervously.

"Y-yea. I'm fine," Kevin replied. He didn't dare move a muscle.

"Are you sure? Because I …err, well, you…"

"Said 'PK Riding Beta', even though nothing happened?"

"Well …yes, I …that's what I think may have happened. I mean, err, I didn't mean to—"

"I-it's okay."

"A-are you sure? Do you …need, anything? Or…"

"N-no. I'm fine. You can just let the monster kill me now."

"Vhat are you doing?" the conductor screamed from a distance. "Get back from zhere!"

The seriousness of the man's voice jolted Kevin back to life. Grabbing his bike, he quickly yet awkwardly stumbled with it through the snow back to Edd, Jimmy and Kate. The monster also began to move again, slowly struggling back onto its legs as they grew back.

"Dang it, that would've been the perfect finishing move," Kevin groaned as tiredness began to settle in where his adrenaline faded. He stumbled forward, and felt a firm hand catch him before he lost his balance. He looked up to see Ed supporting him. The conductor joined the group as well, and Kevin continued, "I could feel it—I _can_ feel it, but I just don't have enough PSI!"

"Would it even make a difference?" Jimmy asked. He nervously looked at the monster, who was still trying to get back on its feet. "That thing keeps fixing itself, how matter how much we break it."

"There must be a limit." Edd speculated. He readied his weapon—which looked much more ridiculous yet also intimidating from up close, Kevin observed—and turned toward the monster. "Psychic powers or magic be darned, it can't get something for nothing. There must be a source of some sort. Something giving it the power to regenerate so much mass so quickly."

"There is something," Ed said. He closed his eyes and scrunched his face, as if he was concentrating on a thought. "Something is going into the monster from behind …far behind, like it's a robot getting power beamed to it from somewhere else—I saw it in a movie once."

_I feel it too, now that we've bought enough time to concentrate,_ Jimmy heard.

"If there is a source, then there's no doubt that the monster will do everything in its power to defend it," Edd said. He raised his weapon, and continued, "Therefore, Jimmy and I will provide a distraction while you and Ed cut off its power."

The monster had finally gotten back up, and it bellowed in anger. Edd launched the knife-pot at it, chipping away a large portion of its legs.

"Double-D," Kevin stammered, suddenly fearing it was too late, "I-I'm s-s—"

The behemoth slammed a leg down to take a step toward them, shaking the ground and cutting Kevin's sentence off. Jimmy hopped forward and shot a burst of fire, and turned his head to scream, "What are you waiting for? Go!"

"I-I don't have a weapon!"

"Use zhis." Kevin turned to see the conductor pull from his coat one of the largest monkey wrenches he had ever seen. It glistened a bright red in the light from a lantern hanging from the man's waist. It was almost as long as the boy was tall, and when the man handed it to him, he stumbled forward from its weight. "We keep it to repair zhe train, but we've never actually had to use it. I think it vould fix more problems in your hands."

"We'll watch your back," Kate said, stepping forward in preparation to throw her frying pan again, "now go!" She hurled it at the monster's head, causing the thing to turn away in recoil.

Clutching his new weapon in hand, Kevin mounted his bike and strained to pedal as fast as he could in the snow. Ed sprinted alongside him, his upper body bent backwards behind him as his legs carried him with physics-mocking agility. The blizzard from before had lightened up, and snow no longer pelted their faces as they raced across the icy ground next to the monster.

Kevin winced. Why did he have to be out of PSI right when he learned a new, powerful move? He turned his head upward to see the creature towering over him. Its attention was fixated on the people behind him tearing at it with fire and cooking ware—his friends, who he had just tried to kill not a few hours ago.

He shook his head of that thought, and tried to concentrate. He felt something up ahead. He gasped—it was the orchestra, the feeling of pure energy, only …not pure. It played a sour chord, as if it was being filtered through something awful. It was a soundless noise that made Kevin grimace the closer he got to it.

A tingle down his spine pulled him from his thoughts. He looked behind him to see the monster's tail speeding toward the two boys. Before he could open his mouth to warn Ed, he saw the boy dashing toward the wall of ice. Ed thrust out his hands and caught the tail. The force of it pushed him through the snow, but the boy's low stance didn't waver, and it slowed to a halt.

Kevin kept going at top speed. His face suddenly began to sting, and he saw the monster's tail curl around in front of him. Even from a distance of tens of feet, a sharp cold emanated from it. Gasping, he turned his head around, and saw ice forming on Ed's arms.

"Ed!"

He stopped pedaling and prepared to break, when he heard, "No! Keep going, I'll be fine!" With a loud yell and a burst of herculean strength, the large boy pushed the tail forward, and the way in front of Kevin opened up.

With his friends at his back, he sped forward as fast as he could. The snow sprayed from under his wheels, but even with the extra resistance he plowed through it. Up in the distance, he saw something. As he drew closer, its shape became more clear: it was a cave, a hole that sprouted from the icy ground. Inside it was an orb, no larger than a basketball, and made of translucent ice. It floated in the air, emanating a soft yet sinister blue light.

Bingo.

Kevin jumped off his bike and clutched his monkey wrench. While still in the air, he swung it as hard as he could—only for the orb to move slightly to the left, causing him to miss.

"What? You're not allowed to dodge!" Kevin landed hard on the ice just inside the cave, and nearly lost his footing as his boots slid across it. Undeterred, he swung his wrench upward. The orb dodged again, and began to float out of the cave. Kevin gave chase on his bike. He panted to keep up; swinging such a heavy weapon—even a few times—burned up a lot of his energy. He quickly gained some more, however, as the ice monster's leg slammed down just beside him.

With shock fueling his muscles, he sped forward underneath the thing. The orb flew past Jimmy and Edd, who were attacking it from the front, and Kevin quickly joined up with them. Before they could ask what that thing was, the monster bowed its head down and opened its mouth. The orb flew in, and it roared a more piercing bellow than before.

"This thing is persistent," Edd said. Kate, the conductor and Ed made their way toward the three boys.

"I know I could take it out in one blow, if I just had the energy for it!"

"Why don't you use zhat 'PSI Magnet' thing to take it from someone, or however zhe heck it works?"

"Oh—oh yea! I forgot about that!" Kevin turned toward the monster, who was still swallowing the orb, and concentrated. He felt its presence. Cold and sinister, yet it seemed like there was something "behind" it, something that it was drawing power from. Kevin tried to take some of that for himself, but when he managed to grab hold of it, it lashed out and broke his concentration.

"I-I can't take any from it," he said. "It's too strong, I think."

"Take mine, then," Jimmy said. "I don't have much left, but you need it more than I do."

"A-are you…" The idea of stealing PSI from his friends had never occurred to Kevin. When he thought about it, it felt _wrong_ in a way. However, Jimmy sounded serious, and he felt the frail boy's mind brush against his, along with Ed's. Their minds opened up, and he could feel energy from both of them. Then, he felt something else; it wasn't PSI, but it felt bright and warm. Kevin turned to Edd, who smiled at him, and he smiled back. A faint, fourth feeling whispered at him, and an almost infinitesimal familiarity brushed his consciousness. It faded before he could really acknowledge it, and he quickly turned his attention away.

With his friends around him, he felt energy flow into his head willingly, and he accepted it. Gratitude welling inside him and giving him strength, the rush from his earlier epiphany came back in full force. The monster bellowed once more. It opened its mouth, where ice and snow and light swirled around inside it. It built into a large ball of malevolent energy, ready to be fired at the people below.

Kevin wouldn't let that happen.

The boy stepped forward, clutching his wrench in one hand and his bike in the other. The monster prepared to fire its attack, but he fired his first.

"PK Riding Beta!"

A rainbow of colors burst forth from the boy, bright enough to illuminate the snow all around him and warm enough to melt it. Lines of energy zipped through the air and connected to form squares and tessellations. The two-dimensional shapes wrapped around the monster's entire body. The energy suddenly emitted a blinding burst of light, which disappeared as quickly as it had came. The monster disappeared with it, as if it was never there.

Kevin panted. The rush died down quickly, but the sense of danger took a bit longer to fade.

"Zhat's amazing," the conductor marveled. "Terrifying, but amazing nonzheless."

"Where did that thing come from?" Kate asked, ready to move away from such an unfamiliar subject. "We didn't encounter anything like that on our way to getting the passengers to safety."

"There was …a cave," Kevin said. The orchestral feeling buzzed in his head once again, bright and pure as it was last time, without any malevolence in it. "The orb—that thing's source—was in a cave, just up ahead. I think it was drawing energy from it, or something."

"I feel it too," Ed said, his face lighting up. "It feels familiar."

"Pah, I don't feel anyzhing," the conductor said, turning around. "If you need me or my daughter, we'll be at zhe safehouse. I have to take stock of whatever supplies you three used up."

Out of the corner of his eye, Kevin saw Edd's face turn a bright red, and the hatted boy nervously pulled his makeshift cannon behind his back.

"Explore zhat cave at your own risk. I don't zhink it would be too irresponsible to assume you can handle yourselves at zhis point." And the two adults walked away.

"What strange folks those two are," Edd remarked.

**~ßßßß~**

The four children made their way to the cave. It took much longer than Kevin remembered; though it was probably because he had decided to walk his bike instead of ride it this time. The blizzard was all but gone, and the clouds above gave way to a landscape of stars. Silence surrounded the four; nobody said a word, as if they were afraid it would shatter the fragile peace around them.

They entered the cave, which twisted and wound downward underground. It was dark, but nobody had enough energy to conjure a fire. Despite that, they kept going deeper, as if something was compelling them to. Their steps were slow and measured, but they found themselves navigating in the darkness without any trouble.

At last, Kevin came to a stop, and everyone else stopped with him. They were in the center; he could feel the energy all around him, instead of in a definite direction. However, it was almost pitch black, almost too dark see his hand in front of him. He felt something strange beneath his boots instead of hard, crunchy snow and ice, and his face was so numb he couldn't feel the cold anymore.

"…Is there nothing here?" Jimmy said at last. His voice echoed slightly from high above them.

"I…I don't know," Ed replied. "I feel something…hiding, like it's afraid to come out."

After a pause, Kevin took in a breath, and finally spoke. "Double-D?"

"Yes?"

"I …I'm sorry." He sighed. "I'm sorry about everything. It was stupid of me to think you were useless, and I'm a dork for taking it so far, and—"

"I'm sorry too, Kevin," Edd sputtered. "Y-you were right. I _was_ useless in a fight, and it _is_ important, be-because it puts our lives in danger. You helped me realize that I needed to do more, a-and now I can!"

The boy smiled, and Kevin smiled back at him. "I guess it's settled then," the latter said. "We're both dorks, but we're also too good of friends to give up." He paused, and thought of how strange that sounded. "Or something like that."

"We are friends unbreakable!" Ed cheered, pulling both boys in a tight yet warm embrace. The place almost seemed like it was less dark than before.

While struggling to breathe, Kevin noticed that Jimmy was still a few feet away from them. He gently pushed away from Ed's grasp and took a few steps forward. "Hey Jimmy, what did you mean back then?"

"H-huh?"

"Back on the train, you said you didn't even want to come with us, or something like that. Why'd you come anyway?"

The two Eds stood next to Kevin, all three of them facing Jimmy. The boy sighed, and said, "Well, it was either I went on this long, dangerous adventure, or I stayed home. By myself."

"What about your parents?" Edd asked.

Jimmy almost let out a mirthless chuckle, and said, "My mom is a jeweler, and she's almost never home while my dad is a brute who hates me for not being rough or manly like him. And without Sarah, I…I…" he closed his eyes, as if trying to blink away tears. "Sarah was the only person who liked me for who I was. Who I am."

Kevin stepped forward. Taking off a glove, he held out his hand. "Come on, Fluffy, don't think like that."

Jimmy looked up. Ed and Edd stretched their hands out also.

"You're our friend too."

A bewildered look spread on the boy's face. It slowly shifted into one of gratitude, and he smiled. Jimmy reached out, and the four grasped one another's hand.

A chord.

All at once, the place sprang to life. Light filled the area, emanated from magnificent pillars of ice that made a large circle around the bewildered children. They stretched up tall and bent toward the center of the cave to form a large, glistening dome. On the ground was grass, greener than any of the boys had ever seen, speckled with flowers and small shrubs.

It was then that Kevin realized that his face wasn't numb; he couldn't feel the cold because it wasn't cold anymore. It was warm, as if the place had been bathed in sunlight all day. The invisible mass of energy swirled around him and resonated with his mind. It was no longer an orchestral tuning, an untapped source waiting for a melody; it felt like a chord, as if his emotions were turned into a song. It made him relax, and he could feel Ed and Jimmy receiving energy from it as well.

His pocket felt unusually warm, and he wormed his hand behind his snow pants to pull out the mirror. It seemed to glow as it reflected the area around it, flawless and immaculate. Kevin looked on the ground, and smiled. A piece of the mirror lay patiently on the grass, ready to become part of the whole. The boy picked it up, and it joined with the rest of the mirror. It now resembled a full circle, albeit with a large, jagged wedge cut out of it.

"Just as I suspected," Edd remarked. "The pieces are all the same size, about, so there should only be three left to go."

"Now I know this is way more than just a coincidence," Kevin said. "These sanctuary places, and this mirror. They're connected to everything that's going on. They've got to be."

"Maybe the mystery man can explain it to us!" Ed said.

"If we can reach him in one piece, that is," Edd chuckled.

"I wouldn't worry about that," Kevin remarked. "Between the four of us, there's nothing we can't handle."

**~ßßßß~**

"Ah, there you are. You four seem to be in high spirits!" Kate smiled, and welcomed the four into the safe house. "We'll be getting back to the train in just a second. My father is just a little…"

The conductor suddenly burst into the mudroom, and with an angry point of the finger, shouted, "You! What on earth did you four do in here?" He stepped forward, and made wide gestures with his hands and arms as he ranted, "Zhe spice cupboard is torn apart, zhere are survival supplies thrown left and right, and springs are missing from most of zhe beds!"

"I-I take full responsibility for that, sir," Edd choked up. "Please realize, though, that I did it out of necessity, and I'll do whatever I can to provide restitution."

The man took a few deep breaths, and his face relaxed. "Alright, I guess it's best not to ask questions at zhis point." He smiled, and added, "However, you can explain yourselves on zhe ride to zhe station."

They made their way back to the train, which sported a single, undamaged coach, and boarded it. It was a sleeping car, and as the train chuffed towards its destination Kevin and his friends found it no large challenge to climb into a bed and drift into slumber.

* * *

**End Part 4**


	42. Old Friends in New Places

**Part 5**

* * *

**Chapter 42**

* * *

"Alright Jimmy, here it comes!"

Jimmy squinted to try and see tiny glint of light from across the wide, grassy plain. He fidgeted in his stance. The effects of Offense Up gave him a lot of energy, but even with the boost he strained to see what was up far ahead in the sea of thick, green grass. Kevin and the others stood a ways behind him, trying themselves to ascertain what was coming their way.

After a moment, the thing came into view, and Jimmy steeled himself. From behind him he heard Ed gasp in delight. It was perfectly round and disk-shaped, with two black dots resembling eyes on the front of it. It looked like a UFO, a flying saucer from an old science fiction movie. It was small, no larger around than a basketball, and it didn't look intimidating by any definition of the word, but the boy knew that there was no taking chances. Its shiny metal body gleamed in the sunlight, only visible for glimpses at a time as it zipped through the air in unpredictable spurts of movement.

"Show that Little UFO who's the boss, Jimmy!" Ed called out.

The small boy clutched his golf driver in one hand while keeping his other held out in front of him, holding two fingers up.

_You know that you can use PSI without needing to do any sort of special pose or movement, right?_

"I know. It just feels better this way," he said quietly to himself.

_If you insist._

The Little UFO finally got within striking distance. It zipped left and right in front of Jimmy, fast enough to make the tall grass below bend in its direction. Jimmy stood his ground unfazed, and he felt the voice's energy course through his body.

"PK Thunder!"

Jimmy's fingers buzzed as power burst through them and manifested itself into lightning. The streaks of electricity blasted forth at blinding speeds, but the UFO was faster and it quickly dodged to the side.

The thing zipped right in front of Jimmy, and just as he could open his mouth to gasp, a tiny gun sprouted from its underside. With a loud _bzzrt_, it blasted him with a bright green laser. He yelped and fell to the ground, curling up in the grass.

"Jimmy"! Kevin cried, running up to the boy. He swatted at the UFO with his wrench, but the thing dodged and zipped over towards the Eds. Kevin turned to pursue it, but quickly reconsidered and knelt down above Jimmy.

"Are you okay?" he asked. The small boy didn't appear to have any burn marks, or any kind of injury for that matter. Jimmy opened his eyes, and felt himself all over.

"I-I think I'm o—" His eyes began to water, and he inhaled, "Oh—ah—ACHOO!" He sneezed hard. In an instant, his nose clogged up, and he began to cough and sputter.

"It—that thing—"

"Et-et gave be a _COLD_? Jimmy cried through his mouth.

"Woa," Kevin said, quickly backing up from the boy. "That is pure evil!"

"Assistatce pleese!" In between sneezes and coughs, Edd wildly spun around, firing his cooking-pot-cannon at the dodgy UFO while Ed pranced gleefully around him, trying fruitlessly to tackle it to the ground. The thing continuously fired at the two, with each connecting attack forcing them to sneeze. Kevin took his wrench and tried to hit it, but his new weapon was so big that he could never swing it fast enough.

When another painful sneeze erupted from him, Jimmy lost his patience. Screaming, he brandished his golf club and managed to smack the Little UFO right as it zipped in front of him. It landed on the ground, and Jimmy wildly bashed at it until it disappeared with a pop and a few sparks.

"Good wok, Jibby!" Ed congratulated, his nose red and his eyes puffy.

"Dhat was quite da cubersob edemy," Edd spoke awkwardly. "Dastardly dhing, too."

Kevin, out of annoyed desperation and impulse, coughed, "PSI Healig!" To his surprise, he felt his nose clear up, as if his cold was never there. He quickly cast it on everyone else.

"Oh, thank god you can do that," Edd praised worshipfully. "That and your new abilities are lifesavers. The effects of your Offense Up and Defense Up are quite fascinating to see in action."

"It feels amazing," Jimmy said, gleefully taking a few swings with his weapon. "I couldn't have hit that thing without it."

"These guys just keep getting freakier," Kevin said, grabbing his bike. "Even with these powers, it'd be impossible to defeat them with just me and Ed. You two are getting to be really helpful." He took the lead and walked ahead of the others, prompting them to follow. They were already far away from the town where the express ended at, but the day was still young. The air was warm and it smelled sweet from small flowers dotted around the landscape. The four felt a sense of tranquility when there weren't any enemies to fend off.

"I was afraid that taking the knives off of this thing would reduce its effectiveness," Edd said, inspecting his weapon, "but it seems that the blunt trauma from a high-speed cast-iron pot is potent enough on its own." Kevin looked behind him at Edd's weapon. Before leaving the Talastsbo Express, the smart boy had opted to change out the large, knife-adorned cooking pot with a smaller one, just over a foot in diameter. Now the smart boy could easily hold onto the handle with one hand and not have to use the other to support the weight of the pot on the end of it.

"You need to work on your aim a bit, but when that thing hits it's well worth it. And you," Kevin turned to Jimmy, "you're getting much better with your PSI. Though your aim needs some practice too."

"Thanks." Jimmy had decided—or rather, took a suggestion—to not tell the others about the voice in his head.

_They probably wouldn't believe you,_ it said. He agreed, and didn't think about it again.

"We're the best crime-fighting alien exterminators this side of the galaxy, guys!" Ed pranced around in excitement, lifting Edd and Jimmy on his shoulders and running in circles around Kevin.

"I hope this mystery guy knows what he's talking about," Kevin said, looking around him. "That note at the station said we should head directly east and we'd find it—whatever _it_ is—but so far there's nothing but grass and more grass out here."

"Maybe we should teleport somewhere and rest," Jimmy suggested, shifting around to signal for Ed to let him down. The effects of Offense Up had worn off, and he suddenly felt very tired.

"We need to find some kind of landmark first," Kevin replied. "If I tried to teleport back here with nothing but grass going on forever in mind, who knows where we'd end up? It probably looks like this for miles around here."

Jimmy gave a crestfallen yet understanding sigh, and they continued on in silence. After a while of walking, Ed spoke up. "What about that thing?"

"What thing?"

The boy pointed off into the distance, where shapes of tan and brown stood out over the blur of green. As they drew closer, the shapes turned into covered wagons and oxen pulling them.

"It looks like a caravan of some sort," Edd observed. "A travelling group of people. Maybe we can ask them for direc—"

"PREPARE YOURSELF!"

Kevin felt the sunlight over him disappear, and he reflexively dove to the side as something slammed into the spot where he was.

"Woa woa woa, take it easy, Rolf!" he shouted, as Rolf pulled a gigantic fish out from the newly-formed crater—

"R-Rolf?"

His image was unmistakable. The tall, thin boy stood there, wearing the same expression of surprise and excitement that Kevin did. He still wore his long yellow shirt and denim pants, but he also sported a hood made from what appeared to be a goat pelt. He shook his head, and the mouth of the animal fell behind it to reveal his shiny blue hair.

"Kevin? Is that really—by the gods, it is!" Dropping his weapon, Rolf ran toward Kevin and embraced him with a firm, hearty pat on either shoulder.

"Rolf, what are you doing all the way out here?" Edd asked.

"Sock-hat Ed boy! And Ranger Jimmy and the big Ed boy, you're here too!" Rolf embraced all of them as well, with a single hand. "Rolf could ask you all the same thing. He is with his family on their way back to the Old Country—and we're almost there, of all luck! Why have you four unlikely-to-be-seen-togethers gone out and met him along his journey?"

Kevin cleared his throat, knowing that there was going to be a lot of talking. "You know how all those weird things started happening at the cul-de-sac?"

"How could Rolf forget? Is that not the reason he is out here returning to his homeland?"

"Well, it turns out things got a lot weirder since you left."

**~ßßßßß~**

"And when we arrived at the station, we found another note that simply told us to head east through the plains. We teleported around for a bit to get some supplies, and then we headed out here and nearly got attacked by you."

"Again, again, Rolf apologizes for that, but you four are not the only ones to get attacked by many strange monsters. Rolf has had to protect his family from all matter of beasts along the road home."

Rolf and the others sat on the back of a covered wagon while Kevin rode behind it on his bike. The caravan was a small one, consisting of Rolf's parents, grandparents and a few other relatives the other kids couldn't determine his relation to, and a few wagons with his farm animals loaded inside. Ed sat next to the chicken coops in glee, given permission to hold one in his lap while Jimmy took a comfortable seat next to Wilfred the pig. Edd sat on the edge of the wagon with Rolf, helping Kevin to fill in the last of the details of the story.

"So why didn't you use your sexaton-dohickajigger to navigate the perilous glaciers of the north?" Rolf asked.

"As I had explained to Kevin, it operates using the sun or another celestial body and the horizon as references to determine one's latitude, and neither were visible during that time. I could have better used it when we ventured out to these plains, but I opted to leave it at Kevin's house for safekeeping."

"Ah, I see. Kevin, how are your parents faring in all of this?"

"Huh? Oh, I think they're taking it pretty well." Kevin felt strange talking about his parents in front of Rolf, but there was also a small sense of comfort as he continued, "They're actually really supportive of this whole thing, weird as that sounds. They get worried sick unless I call or visit often, of course." The same applied to him, he thought, but he wasn't going to tell Rolf that.

"And what of too-strong-for-her-size Sarah?"

"She's doing good, too!" Ed chimed in. "Says she's been practicing a special move and helping beat up people who get possessed."

"That sounds like her, alright. And what of go-go-Nazz girl, or Jonny or even the she-witch Kanker girls? Have you yet to meet them again?"

"No, not really." Kevin thought of Nazz, and sighed. "Jonny's still at Peach Creek, duking it out with more Spiteful Crows probably. And the Kanker sisters…I don't know what happened to them. They weren't there when everyone decided to move out."

"I wouldn't worry too much about those three," Edd said, smirking. "I'd be more worried for the poor fool that decided to cross them than anything else."

"I still have nightmares about that time they destroyed the cul-de-sac," Jimmy said with a shutter.

"That was when they were looking for their ship-in-a-bottle, right?" Edd said. "It turned out to be stuck on Ed's finger, and I darn nearly had a heart attack when they showed up at my front door."

From there, the conversation jumped from memory to memory, and Kevin couldn't help but feel a warmth in his heart. No longer were they talking about psychic powers or enemies faced. They talked about scams the Eds used to pull, or the shenanigans Kevin and Rolf had of their own together. They talked about vacations they went on, and even got around to bragging about some of the coolest Christmas gifts they'd ever received (sans Rolf). Being with so many of his friends, Kevin almost felt like he was back in Peach Creek.

The moment was brief, however, as a few more Little UFOs and other creatures began to attack. With coordinated strikes and flailing of fishmeat and tempered steel, the kids quickly dispatched every foe that went their way. Their good mood wasn't soured though; they laughed and joked as they fought, cheered on and praised by the rest of the caravan. Whenever someone was injured or caught a cold, Ed was the first to use his own healing powers, beaming proudly at every cut closed up and every cold gotten over.

At last, mountains began to rise from the horizon of grass, and an assortment of buildings came into view. They barely protruded over a large log wall, which began to tower over the caravan as it drew closer. Two men called something from atop the wall, and Rolf's parents answered with a strange proverb. Before Kevin could ask what they said, Rolf quickly ushered everyone to the front of the caravan. The wall before them started to split down the middle and open like the doors of a gate.

"Let Rolf proudly welcome you," Rolf said, turning to the side as the gate opened wider, "to his humble village!"

The gates opened all the way, and Kevin and the others watched in awe as the town bloomed before them. Wooden buildings jutted out from the ground where dirt roads crisscrossed between them. People of all shapes and sizes rushed by, herding animals or driving wagons filled to the brim with all manner of goods. A small mountain range provided a backdrop to the scene, and the town extended right to its base. The most curious thing about the village, Edd noted, was that nearly every building had a windmill attached to it. It was then that everyone realized that a light yet constant breeze had been blowing at them for quite a while now.

"Rolf, this is amazing, dude!" Kevin admired as the caravan entered. Many people came up to it—almost all of them sporting the same blue hair or lean and thin figure as Rolf did—and the wagons carrying different things were lead in different directions.

"Rolf is glad that you like it, Kevin!" the boy replied back. His eyes were bright and almost misty, as if he was remembering things from long ago. Kevin smiled, and tried to imagine having grown up in this place. "Please, join Rolf at his home for some rest and food!"

"Now that you mention it, I am pretty hungry," Jimmy said.

"My belly is crying," Ed said as his stomach rumbled loudly.

"More like roaring."

"I could use something to drink as well," Kevin said. Looking around, he noticed a well in the middle of a large, circular intersection.

He quickly made his way toward it, ignoring an "Um, Kevin, I-I wouldn't…" from Edd. Grabbing the ladle hanging from the side of it, he bent down into the well and dipped it into the water. He took a swig, only to spit it out almost immediately.

"Gah!" he shouted, as a disgusting taste filled his mouth. He felt something prick his tongue, and he spat again. A large beetle landed on the ground in front of him.

"Good heavens!" Jimmy screamed as his body became limp in a near-faint. Ed held the boy up as he watched Kevin grimace and furiously wipe at his tongue with his hands.

"Ah, you are brave, Kevin-boy! Most would boil the vermin out of the water before drinking it, but only the manliest of men can stand to drink directly from the well!"

"Not funny, Rolf!" Kevin spat one more time, and then moaned, "I'll be right back." Before Rolf could question where he wished to go, Kevin broke into a sprint and began to run around the well. Everyone nearby watched in awe as he picked up speed, and the sound of teleportation began to emanate from him. With a small boom, he vanished.

"Wow, so that's what it looks like from an observing standpoint," Edd mused. The boys waited for a minute, and saw Kevin come back as he burst out of nowhere and skidded along the ground. Cradled in his hands were five water bottles.

"Here," he said, handing one to Ed, Edd, Rolf and Jimmy. "It's a good thing my mom likes to buy lots of these."

"Kevin-boy, you just traveled to the other side of the globe and back for a bottle of water," Rolf stated with a deadpan voice.

"Huh, I guess I did."

"And you call _Rolf_ strange."

The five children made their way through the village, with Rolf pointing out sites of interest and answering the many questions the others asked.

"So what's with all the windmills?" Kevin asked.

"A good question, Kevin-boy! You see, it is a rare and sad moment in the Old Country for the divine wind to stop blowing. We have used its gift to power our mills and machinery."

"That's amazing, Rolf! To think that a place with such constant and powerful weather patters as to provide enough wind to near-perpetually power an entire town filled with windmills could exist!"

"Um…thank you?"

"Anyway, I'm a bit shocked that you haven't mentioned this before," Kevin said.

Everyone turned their attention to Rolf with looks of agreement on their faces. Shrugging, he said, "It is not windy in Peach Creek, Kevin. Rolf didn't think you'd be interested."

"Dude, this is more interesting than most of the stuff you go on about." Rolf made a sour face at Kevin, who quickly amended, "Wh-which is still interesting, don't get me wrong." Rolf's face lightened a little, but he turned around and took the lead.

"A-anyway," Jimmy said, trying to get the conversation back on track, "I hope that Sarah can visit here sometime. It would a perfect place to fly a kite."

Rolf suddenly stopped in his tracks. He turned to Jimmy, and said, "Oh, you like flying kites, do you Ranger Jimmy?"

"Of course! But like you said, it's not windy in Peach Creek, so Sarah and I have never gotten to do it much."

Rolf beamed, and quickly turned toward the mountains. "Jimmy, we do not fly kites here," he said. Jimmy gave a sad sigh, but Rolf quickly added, "Come, come! I must show you four something."

Sipping their water along the way, Rolf led them toward the mountains. The buildings began to thin out and become more and more spaced the closer they got, and the wind grew more intense as the ground began to slope into a hill from beneath them. The four kids curiously followed Rolf along a path that began to wind back and fourth up the mountain, curious at his silent yet excited expression. When they reached the top, the blue-haired boy pointed to the land on the other side.

"As I said, we do not fly kites here," he repeated. Kevin and the others gasped as they saw what was beyond the mountain. There were people soaring through the air, tethered to large, parachute-shaped sails of all different sorts of colors. "Here in the Old Country, we let the kites fly _us!_"


	43. Unearthbound

**Chapter 43**

* * *

"No way!"

"No, yes way!"

Kevin couldn't believe what he was seeing. From where he stood at the top of the mountain, he could see a multitude of people soaring through the air. They hung onto large kites of all colors, which soared through the sky in a wide circle. Below them was a large circle of grass, surrounded halfway by the mountain itself. The other side of the circle dropped off near the back to a valley below, giving the entire area the appearance of a giant Greek theater. Strong but warm gusts of wind rushed past the boys at regular intervals towards it, as if the air itself was excited.

"This is absolutely amazing, Rolf!" Edd exclaimed. Ed, Jimmy and Kevin all excitedly nodded in agreement, unable to turn their attention from the sight before them.

"Rolf wondered if you'd like it." With his eyes closed, Rolf took a long, deep breath of warm, clean air. As if drunk on the moment, he continued, "The art of Kite Jumping is a sacred yet joyous pastime here in Rolf's home valley. He had only done it a few times before moving to Peach Creek, but he can never forget the feeling of soaring through the air."

"Then what're we waiting for?" Ed shouted. He burst down the mountain with incredible speed, laughing hysterically at the occasional trip or stumble on the grassy rocks.

"Ed boy! The kites are up here!" Rolf shouted, pointing to a large shack near the top of the mountain. Without losing speed, Ed changed direction and scrambled back up the mountain with equal enthusiasm.

"Not to be a wet blanket, so to speak," Edd said as they began to walk toward the shack, "but is this really the time to be goofing off? We still have to find—" He was interrupted with a soft smack to the cheek from Rolf.

"Normally-Quite-The-Observant Ed-Boy, you know Rolf to be a hard-working son of a shepherd, no?"

"O—of course, but—"

"And back at Peach Creek, he had very little time for lollygagging and 'goofing off'. Let Rolf tell you right now that he is but one of a like-minded flock, birds of a feather. We all know the value of working hard to provide for ourselves and others, but the reason for that is simply so we may survive the winter and repeat the process come the next year."

They entered the shack, with a tired Ed panting behind them. Along all the wooden walls were rows of hooks, some holding kites and most of them empty. The kites looked like rolled-up parachutes, with thick string wound tightly around each one. Wheeled ladders on either wall gave access to the kites higher up, and Rolf climbed one as he talked.

"Perpetuating our lives is meaningless unless we actually _live_ them, and here in the Old Country, _this_ is one of the ways we live." Rolf grabbed a deep purple kite off a hook and tossed it at Edd. "Like with your scams of old, all of our work is simply preparation for the laughs and merriment we get to share from it."

Edd opened his mouth, ready to ask what that had to do with his original question, when Rolf added, "And besides, I'm sure your mystery person can wait for a couple of hours as we lift ourselves into the air and our spirits with us. Besides, it is good for the soul to free oneself of their boundness to earth for a while." After handing everyone their own kite, he grabbed one for himself and jumped down from the ladder.

The five boys exited the shack and walked along a pathway near the top of the mountain. It dropped sharply on the side facing the grass circle, and Edd tentatively kept his distance from it as Rolf lead the way.

"For all Rolf knows, it could probably have an effect on your PS-psycho of-the-mind powers. Rolf has certainly never had an experience, neither in body or in spirit, similar to that of a Kite Jump, anyway." He began to unwind the string from his kite and tossed it into the air, where the wind caused it to unfold and inflate. As it gained height, Rolf quickly grabbed a wooden handle at the end of the string. He took two leather straps attached to the handle and quickly buckled them around his wrists.

"But enough talk, I say! Just do as Rolf does and—" The string suddenly went taut, and Rolf was thrust into the air over the ledge. "—GOOOOHOHOHO!" The boy began to sail down the mountain, hollering in joy as he quickly became lost in the thin tornado of other kite flyers in the air. Everyone else quickly engaged in an unspoken competition to see who could be the first to follow.

Kevin unwound his kite and tossed it as high as he could, only for it to plop back down to the ground. Edd and Jimmy had similar luck, but Ed managed to get his to stay in the air by tossing it just when a big gust of wind rushed past them. It began to unfold and take shape as the wind caught it, and the large boy quickly fumbled around to try to strap his wrists to the handle. He could only buckle one before the kite yanked him down the mountain.

"Atta boy, Ed!" Kevin called, chuckling at the fact that Ed's feet hardly lifted off the ground even as the kite madly tugged at him from above. With only one hand secured the handle, he twisted and failed around until he finally managed to grab it with his other one. As Ed neared the plateau, he began to gain more height, and his whoops of joy could be heard all around.

Edd was the next to get his kite in the air. He had made sure to strap his hands to the handle securely before even tossing it up, but Kevin noticed his legs began to shake as his kite caught wind. His face suddenly went pale, and he said in almost an asking tone, "R-remind me why we're doing this again?"

"We're doing it so I can do _this_!" Kevin suddenly grabbed Edd and pushed him off the ledge. Edd screamed as he began to fall down, only to be caught by his kite and sent on his way. "Hah hah! That was a good one," Kevin laughed to himself. A gust of wind hit, and he quickly threw up his kite.

"Kevin, I thought we were past doing things like that," Jimmy scolded.

"Oh calm down, it was just a joke. I won't do it again if he thinks it was too much."

"That's fair, I suppose," Jimmy said in an overly nonchalant tone. "But, you know."

"Know what?"

Suddenly, Kevin sensed PSI burst from Jimmy. Before he could react, he felt an invisible force slam into him from the side and thrust him off the ledge.

"I can do it too!"

The feeling of his stomach trying to climb up his throat wasn't new to Kevin, but it was still unpleasant as he fell for what seemed like a half second. He suddenly felt his arms jerk and his vertical descent turned into a horizontal swing. The mountain began to slide away from him, and now his stomach had decided to do somersaults around his chest as he ascended.

Kevin was flying on a kite.

The nausea quickly died down to the point where he could stand it, leaving in its place a rush of excitement. Kevin looked around him, seeing a multitude of people above the grassy circle far below. He felt a little wind on his face, but most of it was travelling at the same speed as he was. Looking hard, he managed to spot Rolf and the two Eds. Jimmy was still on the mountain, trying to get his kite in the air.

Kevin turned his attention back forward, and gasped as he realized he was heading toward the edge of the circle, which dropped off to a large, forested valley below. He struggled and tried to get the kite to turn, but it didn't respond to any shift to his weight.

"Do not worry, Kevin!" he heard Rolf's voice call loudly from behind. "The wind will keep you away from the edge of the Forbidden Valley! Just have faith!"

Trusting Rolf, Kevin stopped trying to change direction as he flew closer and closer to the edge. Before his kite reached it, it suddenly turned away, and Kevin swung just above the ledge before he found himself heading back toward the mountain.

"What do you think, Kevin?" Rolf called again.

Kevin managed to spot Rolf's yellow shirt from a distance, and called back, "It's amazing!" It really was, he thought. It was like he was riding his bike for the first time. He felt that amazing sensation of going faster than he could run, feeling the wind on his face and the world slip by around him. Flying was different, though; he had no seat and no pedals, and his body was left dangling above the ground as he clutched onto the handle. What he exchanged in control of his speed and flight patterns, he gained in an almost euphoric feeling of a different kind of freedom. Like Rolf had said, he no longer felt bound to the earth, even as he felt it trying to pull him back down. The sky had no more than three clouds, a deeper blue than Kevin had thought possible. The sun felt warm on his skin while the air was cool and refreshing. At times Kevin could almost no longer feel the handle or the tightness of his arms, and he was simply flying on his own.

The bliss lasted for a few minutes, but it began to dissipate as Kevin felt his arms become sore. The straps were broken-in and comfortable on his wrists, and they bore his weight when he couldn't hold on any longer, but he felt them cut off the blood flow to his hands after a while.

"Rolf! Is there any way to get down from here?" Edd asked before Kevin could.

"Do not worry, Ed-boy! Even the Divine Wind must rest and breathe! It should let us down shortly!"

Sure enough, Kevin felt his stomach rise a little, signaling that he was going down. Everyone around him began to descend as well. Like Rolf said, it was as if the entire place was resting, starting with a large sigh. Looking up, he noticed that Jimmy was still on the mountain, trying to toss a crudely bundled-up kite in the air with no success in keeping it there.

Kevin finally felt his feet touch the ground and his weight return to his legs. The kite stayed aloft, pulling at him so gently that Kevin found he was able to undo the straps and hold the handle under his arm. He joined up with Rolf and the others, who were shaking out their wrists with smiles on their faces.

"That was amazing, Rolf!" Edd chimed. "Not good for one's arms, mind you, but well worth the experience!"

"Poor Jimmy, though," Kevin mused. "How long does this 'rest' period last?"

"It lasts for about a minute or—" Rolf gasped, and turned sharply toward the mountain. A look of nervousness washed over his face, and he asked, "Wait, is Jimmy still trying to get into the air?"

From the grassy circle, Jimmy was hardly visible on the mountain, but it was clear that he was still trying to get his kite in the air. Rolf screamed his name, but he didn't seem to notice.

"What's wrong?" Ed asked.

Rolf began to sprint toward the mountain, urging the others to follow. "Rolf was too excited. He should have explained it sooner," Rolf said hurriedly. "One must never try to lift off during the Rest."

"Why not?" Kevin asked. "Will you even lift off?"

As they began to climb, they saw Jimmy toss up his kite. As it began to fall back down, a sudden flash from below caused it to rocket up further. Finally, it caught wind and began to fly.

"Yes, you will! But during the rest period, the wind above the mountain does not cycle around the circle below. Jimmy could be taken anywhere!"

**~ßßßßß~**

"Thanks."

_It was getting on my nerves, is all._

Jimmy had finally gotten his kite into the air, and was quickly assuring that his straps were buckled securely. It had taken him several tries, but he finally managed to get it high up enough with a psionic push. As the kite rose higher and higher, Jimmy looked down and noticed that everyone was on the ground.

"Did I miss something?"

_Looks like you'll be getting the sky to yourself._

He noticed Rolf and the others charging back up the mountain, their kites trailing loosely in the air behind them. All of them yelled something to him at once, but Jimmy couldn't tell what it was at that distance. Before they could get close enough to be audible, he suddenly felt the kite pull him up into the air.

Jimmy screamed as he flew through the air, first in fear and then in excitement. The wind carried him higher and higher, and the world shrank below him. He enjoyed the feeling, but the Voice turned uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?"

_We should've turned around by now._

"Huh?"

_The air was carrying everyone else in a circle around the plateau. We're starting to head past it._

"What?" Jimmy looked straight below him, and he saw the edge of the circle move to reveal a giant cliff slide past. He was above the valley beyond, which was covered in vegetation and forestry, and he started to lose height.

Clutching onto the kite for dear life, Jimmy thrashed and turned in a futile effort to try and head back.

_Don't waste your energy. You'll need it to head back to the others when we land._

"Don't you mean _if_ we land?" An idea suddenly formed in Jimmy's head, and he said, "Gimmie some fire."

_What? You want to use PSI Fire now?_

"Just do it!"

The Voice complied, and Jimmy felt energy rush through his body. Trying to cast memories of Gym class aside, he struggled to pull his chin above the handle and slid his arm further through the strap so he could hold it out in front of him.

"PK Fire!"

A jet of flame burst from his hand, forcing him backward toward the circle. Jimmy opened his mouth to cry, "It's working!" but suddenly felt himself tipping forward. Though his body tried to move back, the kite was still being pushed forward by the wind above him, and Jimmy began to rotate around it vertically. He quickly canceled the technique, but he was already above the kite itself, and the rope went slack.

Jimmy felt himself enter freefall, and braced himself. The rope snapped taut when he fell far enough below the kite, and he felt a sickening pain in his arms as they struggled to hold onto the handle.

Suddenly, he heard a loud snap. He looked up, and saw that one of the many strings attached to the cloth of the kite was broken. The string and the section of the kite it was once attached to now flailed above helplessly in the wind, and Jimmy felt himself begin to lower.

_I wouldn't do that again._

"Yea, thanks."

His descent took a while, but it felt quicker than Jimmy would've liked. The trees below began to rush up to greet him, and Jimmy squeezed the handle of the kite hard. After a thought, he quickly turned around and tried to spot the cliff behind him. It wasn't too far off, and Jimmy quickly memorized its direction before the canopy of trees engulfed it.

At last, the kite's rope caught one of the trees branches, and acted as a pulley to gently lower Jimmy down as the kite tried and failed to hold his weight. Jimmy's feet touched sweet, solid ground, and he managed to unbuckle the wrist straps from his stiff, trembling hands. The handle suddenly flew off as the kite rose back up, and it disappeared into the sky.

"I'm gonna have to make a whole lotta cupcakes to say sorry for that," he sighed. At least he liked making cupcakes, he thought with a smile.

Turning his attention back to his situation, he saw that he was a the base of a dense pine forest. Trees rose up and towered over the ground, blocking out much of the sky above. Jimmy saw that he had landed close to a clearing, and was thankful that he didn't get caught or tangled in a taller tree.

He turned around, remembering where the cliff was behind him, and walked in that direction. He trekked onward for a few minutes, noting the odd lack of strange-looking creatures trying to kill him. The forest was dark, even in the middle of the day, and the scenery easily blurred together as he walked. He soon got lost in his thoughts, pondering exactly why he was in a dark forest in the middle of Europe a million miles away from the cul-de-sac and his house and Sarah. He suddenly stumbled, and remembered to pay attention to where he was going. He had walked straight into a large cave without even noticing it.

_Wait,_ the Voice said as Jimmy prepared to turn and bolt out of there, _I sense something up ahead. Keep going._

Gulping, Jimmy complied, and headed further into the cave. It grew dark quickly, but before it became pitch black he saw a light up ahead. He raced toward it, wondering if he had stumbled upon another sanctuary. It didn't feel special, though, and the cave simply exited to the forest outside.

Except it wasn't a forest here, Jimmy noticed. The sky was bright and uncovered by trees, and the land was flat but layered in several terraces. There were strange buildings dotted around the place, made of a shiny metal. Ladders connected a multitude of cliffs and terraces, with what looked to be manmade caves dotting the cliff walls.

Suddenly, Jimmy heard a voice from nearby:

"Hi hO! WElcOmE sAtuRN VAlLeY, bOiNG!"


	44. Epiphany in a Coffee Cup

**Chapter 44**

* * *

"Well, I can see why you call this the 'Forbidden Valley'."

The four boys stood at the base of a large cliff, observing the blanket of tall, thick trees standing before stark contrast to the brightness of the grassy circle far above them, the trees blocked out most of the light and wind in the valley below.

While Kevin and Ed looked at the forest in awe, Edd double-checked his supplies. He gripped the rope the boys had used to rappel down to the valley below, and checked to make sure it could let them climb back up if need be. Rolf walked up to the shadows marking the entrance to the forest, and took a deep breath.

"Even before this foul infestation of evil, this land has been harsh and inhospitable to man," he said. "The trees are too tough to cut and the animals are not fit for eating or produce. Not only that, but the Divine Wind refuses to give its blessing here. Let us find Ranger Jimmy with haste and leave before we become tainted with this land's evil."

"I'm a bit skeptical about the 'evil' part, but I'll agree that time is of the matter," Edd said.

"Lemmie get my bike real quick." Kevin broke into a sprint towards the forest, trying to find as straight of a clearing as possible. He found it increasingly hard to dodge tree after tree as he built up speed, but he managed to teleport away before he hit anything. The two Eds and Rolf waited impatiently for him, the air of the place making each boy uncomfortable. Kevin quickly blasted back into the area with his bike underneath him.

"I don't mean to open old wounds, but are you sure you want to bring your bike along for this one?" Edd asked. "If nothing else, it would be safer staying in the village."

"So would you," Kevin replied flatly. Edd opened his mouth, but found nothing to say. Rolf began walking into the forest, and the boys followed silently.

They started out with little conflict. The trees rose high above everyone, with most of their branches near the very top. Even though it was the middle of the day, the ground below was dark, lit only by faint streams of sun that pierced though the gaps in the canopy above. It looked as it if spotlights lit up a dark, well-decorated stage, and it was noticeably much colder than the warm, sunny plateau above. The air was still and stagnant, undisturbed by anything more than the slightest breeze that seldom made its way through the trees.

It would have been quite peaceful, Kevin thought, if it weren't for the assortment of beasts and strange creatures that began to attack. Wild boars the size of minivans, alligators that could walk on their hind legs and strange, living piles of an unidentified goop all turned their attention to the strange humans. Without provocation other than the fact that the boys were alive, they all attacked. The Eds, Kevin and Rolf fought back.

Kevin swung his wrench around, smacking into submission any creature unfortunate enough to be caught in its path and using his bike to build up additional speed and force. Ed fought with his fists, resorting to PSI when they weren't enough and healing whenever he could. Edd managed to land many shots with his cooking pot cannon, finishing off creatures that the others had stunned and slowed. Rolf made up for the lack of Jimmy's powerful psionic attacks with brute force, swinging around a fish the size of a beanbag bed with experienced precision.

At last, after beating a strange leaflike creature into submission, Ed felt something tingle in the back of his mind. Recognizing the feeling, he turned, and shouted, "I can feel him! He's around here somewhere!"

"What direction, Ed?" Edd asked, relief and hope welling up inside him. They had been wandering and fighting for at least a few hours, and fatigue was beginning to take its toll on everyone.

"Um, it feels like he's over here." Ed pointed toward a small cliff in the distance, almost invisible in the darkness. It was a different cliff than the one leading back to the plateau, but Kevin still groaned at the sight of it.

"Are you sure Jimmy's past here?" Kevin asked, earning a nod from Ed. "Guess his kite must've taken him over it." He folded his arms, and looked up at the wall of stone. "Well, it doesn't look like we can make it to the top from here. Let's see if we can find a spot where we can climb—" He suddenly realized that everyone else had already started to walk alongside the base of the cliff without him, and they were already far ahead. "Hey!"

After a few more minutes of walking, the four came upon a large cave in the rock face. Ed entered without hesitation, but had to urge Edd and Rolf before they followed Kevin in with him.

"He's just beyond here," the large boy assured. "I can feel it."

The others took his word for it, but braced themselves for what could lie ahead. The cave grew brighter before it went completely dark, and the boys were surprised to see sunlight shining through an opening at the cave's end.

Suddenly, Kevin noticed something moving. Everyone raised their weapons as something small stepped along the edge of the cave's exit, and they carefully inched toward it. It moved again, and Kevin took the chance to spring into action.

"Hyah!" he shouted, leaping into the air with his wrench held above his head.

"OhIO, dInG!"

The strange voice threw Kevin off guard, and he suddenly felt himself falling to the ground without attempting to attack. He twitched and braced himself, only to end up landing on his face in the dust below. The others quickly helped him up, and they all gazed at the strange creature before them.

It was small and pink, with a round body and two nubby, toeless feet sprouting from the bottom. A large nose protruded from its face, with four thick whiskers sprouting around it. It gazed at them with two small yet friendly eyes, with a pair of incredibly thick eyebrows above them. On top of it sprouted a single, thick strand of hair with a little pink bow dangling near the top of it.

"MoRE ViSiTOrs! TOuRIstS sEaSOn, mAyBE?" The thing spoke with a high, nasally voice, with odd inflections in random parts of each word. It didn't have a visible mouth, but it was undeniably the one who spoke.

"Um…hi?" Edd said, confused.

"HiDihO, dInG!"

Edd felt something brush past his shoulder, and he saw Ed step forward. The boy wore a serious expression, and he walked right up to the creature. He looked at it straight in the eye, not a hint of doubt on his face. Kevin noticed as well, and the two boys watched in awe as their large friend confronted the mysterious being.

"Take us," he said in an official tone, "to your leader."

Edd and Kevin fell over.

"LEadER? WHat BE leADer?"

"Kevin? Double-D? Rolf?" Jimmy ran up to the cave mouth from behind the creature, happily waving at his friends.

"Jimmy! Are you alright?" Rolf asked.

"I'm fine! My kite went outta control, but I landed really close to here!" He bent down toward the creature, and said, "Don't worry, these are my friends."

"FriENdS! PlEaSEd tO MeET! Am MIsTeR SAturN, DaKOtA!"

"Mister…Saturn? Mister Saturn Dakota?"

"No no, silly. Just Mister Saturn," Jimmy explained. "There's a whole town of these guys! Here, lemmie show you around."

He turned around and motioned for the others to follow. Rolf opened his mouth to protest, but he noticed the distinct change of scenery from the rest of the Forbidden Valley. The trees were smaller and vastly spread out, letting much more sunlight pour down onto the fresh grass below. The area was wide, and rock terraces like giant stairs jutted up around it. Dotting the area were what looked like buildings; they were made of a smooth, shiny metal and looked cylindrical in shape. Each one sported a long pole with a pink ribbon on the end of it, like Mister Saturn himself. The air was different from that of the forest. An occasional breeze graced the area, and the air was warm again.

"This is Saturn Valley," Jimmy said. As they walked, the others noticed a multitude of the same pink creatures as Mister Saturn, who enthusiastically followed behind them.

"Oh, so are you the founder of this town?" Edd asked, turning toward the thing.

"No no," Jimmy interrupted. "They're _all_ called Mister Saturn. I don't really get it either, but it's easy to remember just one name."

"Dingdingding!" The Mister Saturn behind them chimed. "AlL MIstER SaTuRN, bOiNG!"

"MoRE tOuRiSTs!" A similar voice chimed from a cliff to their right.

"TiME fOR mAkE BEdDInGS, zOoM!"

"My my, these are quite the hospitable creatures, aren't they?" Edd asked.

"Mmhmm! They welcomed me in and showed me around. They're really nice."

"Well, this is cool and all, but we should probably head back to Rolf's village," Kevin said. "This place should be wide enough to teleport in without much hassle."

"WaIT, HAlt!" A Mister Saturn hobbled up to the boy and looked up at his face. "BeNDiNg dOwN, pLeASe!"

Kevin turned his head toward his friends and back, making sure the thing was talking to him. It understood the gesture, and gave a quick nod. Cautiously, Kevin bent down. The Mister Saturn looked up and inspected his hat, and suddenly it began to dance around in joy.

"BaDgEmAN! HaVE zApPy bAdGE!"

"'Zappy badge'?" Edd asked. Kevin rubbed the front of his cap, and felt the cool metal of his Franklin Badge over it.

"Oh, you mean this?" He carefully took it off and held the badge in his hand. When he looked down, however, the Mister Saturn had already ran off.

"What was that all about?" Edd asked.

"Dunno. But he's coming back with something."

The Mister Saturn returned, balancing something small and metal on its nose. It stopped a few feet shy of Kevin.

"Excuse me, but what are you doing?" Edd asked.

"AuTHenTIcaTing, DAkOtA!" Kevin realized just too late the metal object was shaped like a gun. The Mister Saturn flipped it off of its nose and caught the handle with its foot, pointing the futuristic-looking device at the boy.

_ZAP!_

A jet of lightning burst from the gun straight at Kevin. He tried to dodge, but he didn't react quickly enough. The lightning hit him directly, and he winced at the—

Wait, there was no pain. Kevin opened his eyes and was greeted with bright streaks of light zipping around his hand, which was still outstretched in front of him holding the badge. He could feel the lightning swirling around the object, buzzing at his hand without hurting it, and suddenly it burst away from him.

The Mister Saturn tossed the gun into the air, and the lightning shot from Kevin's hand at it. The thing sparked and popped and busted into small pieces before falling to the ground, and the lightning disappeared.

"Wh-what the heck did you do that for?" Kevin shouted, his legs wobbling underneath him. He dropped the Franklin Badge and reeled his hand toward his face, making sure there was no damage. He looked in awe to see that everything was fine, and he gingerly picked the badge back up.

"ChECkaRoONy! Is rEAl DeaL, bOiNG!" The creature turned around and made sounds as if it was shuffling through a bag for something. It turned back toward Kevin with a letter balanced on its large nose. "HaVE nOT-mAIl! TaKe, zOoM!"

Kevin took another glance at his friends. Was he dreaming? Was he crazy?

"I'm just as confused as you," Edd said, reading his mind. After a short pause, the smart boy smiled, and said, "But the person we're after sent you that badge. If these Mister Saturns know what it is and what it does, then they must be connected."

"Hey, you're right!" Kevin eagerly took the envelope and opened it up. In it was a simple note, and everyone gathered around to read it.

**_Dear travelers,_**

**_I commend you for undertaking this long and most likely dangerous journey. Here is the destination that I had planned for us to meet, so that I may impart information that could be most useful in ridding this world of the Blue Plague by its source. However, this place turned out not to be as protected as I had hoped. At the time of writing this, _He_ is on the verge of finding and recapturing me, so I write this as I am planning my escape._**

**_Words cannot express how deeply sorry I am for this. I cannot disclose my location in case anyone else gets a hold of this letter, but I am positive that, should events continue going the way I assume they have been for you, you shall find me by yourself or selves in time._**

**_I am short on time, but I owe it to you to at least tell you about the Mr. Saturns. As you have most likely found out, they are sentient and benevolent creatures. They are also incredibly intelligent, able to construct technology far more advanced than humans could alone. As you can probably guess, they are not of this world. They seem to pop up in many different places and many different times. I do not know of their reasons for coming here, but I am not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Trust in them, as they may be very helpful to you._**

**_As a final word of advice, let me tell you this: If they offer you anything, anything at all, I would _highly_ recommend you accept it._**

**_I wish you luck._**

Kevin read the letter out loud so everyone could hear it. After a pause, he read it again to himself, and again.

"That…that _dork!_" He crumpled the piece of paper up and threw it to the ground.

"Wh-what's wrong" Jimmy asked.

"This dork leads us halfway around the world and doesn't even show up where he's supposed to meet us, that's what's wrong!" He groaned, and clamped his hands to his face. He inhaled rapidly, but forced himself to slow his breathing. He wanted to yell some more, but in his mind he felt a darkness creeping in around the edges. He recognized exactly what it was this time, and forced himself to calm down. He took deeper breaths, and the darkness faded away. "Now I just don't know what we're supposed to do. Where we're supposed to go."

"YoU vERy teNsE, dInG," a Mister Saturn noted. "WaNT reLaXAtIOn in HoT spRiNG? Is gOoD."

"Come to think of it, I am starting to feel quite sore from our trek out here," Edd said, rubbing his arms. "A hot spring bath would do wonders for all of us."

"A little relaxation could lift our spirits, too!" Jimmy added. "Like the note said, we'll find this person if we just keep moving. And right now, I wanna move to that pool I see over there."

Kevin gave a sigh, and said, "Alright, I guess a bath couldn't hurt."

The Mister Saturn gleefully led them to the hot spring near by. It was a small pool in the ground, the water an opaque sky-blue color with steam rising from it. The grass at the edge of the water was limp but lush, as if it was more relaxed than the stiffer plantlife further away.

The boys stripped down to their underwear, with Jimmy and Edd being too reluctant to take off their shirts. They eased into the hot water and almost instantly felt themselves loosen up. It washed the dirt off of everyone's skin, dirt that nobody had even noticed was on them until that point, and made them feel weightless.

The Mister Saturns tossed folded-up towels onto everyone's head as they relaxed. Close to the springs was a short tree stump, upon which a Mister Saturn set down a few mugs and a teapot.

"InSIdE sPRiNg, BuT WaNt CoFFeE?" it asked.

"Coffee? In a hot spring?" Edd mused.

"COfFEe, DiNg! SaY YeS No tO mE?"

"Well, the letter did say we should accept," Kevin stated. "But for all we know, it could be some kind of trap. What if it's drugged or something?"

"NoT dRuGgED! COffEe!"

"Coffee cures my parents of being zombies in the morning," Ed giggled. He gently swam to the edge of the spring, where the Mister Saturn handed him a mug with its nose. "Maybe it'll give me superpowers!"

"Ed, I don't think 'hyperactivity' counts as a superpower," Edd warned. "But who knows? Maybe the caffeine could help your PSI. I'll take a mug out of courtesy. After all, these creatures hardly seem like the type to offer spiked drinks."

"Did you not just see the one who shot me with lightning?"

"Nuance."

"Rolf will withhold in the partaking of this drink," Rolf announced. "Should something happen to you in your trusting of the letter, Rolf will make sure appropriate retribution will be administered." Everyone gave him a strange look, confused at his sudden seriousness. Sinking into the water a bit, he quietly added, "And Rolf does not like coffee very much. Nazz served it to him once, and he couldn't sleep for days afterward."

"Oh yea, I remember that," Kevin laughed. "Good times."

"I've never had coffee before," Jimmy said, grabbing a cup. "But I've been parched since I dropped my water bottle back at the mountain. I guess I could always try something new."

"I've had coffee a few times, it's alright," Kevin said, taking a mug as well. He looked at the dark brown liquid inside it, rippling placidly around between the circular wall of porcelain. He could have sworn that for a moment, he saw his reflection staring back at him through the waves, but it quickly disappeared. The smell suddenly becoming very inviting, he declared, "Bottoms up!"

Rolf watched as the four brought the mugs to their lips, tilted them upwards and drank deeply.

**~ßßßßß~**

**Kevin, you're a long way from home, aren't you?**

**Dragged.**

**Pulled.**

**Caught up in this adventure like a leaf in a mighty storm,**

**and yet you haven't lost your way.**

**Do you remember how you got here?**

**When that crow stole the journal,**

**the thing that offered answers.**

**An explanation to the crazy things that were happening**

**which split you from all of your friends and your home**

**was taken away from you.**

**And what did you do?**

**You chased after it.**

**You have fought through the chaos,**

**and struggled to keep yourself together as events**

**beyond your control have shaped your path.**

**But now you are shaping it yourself.**

**Your friends are here to guide you,**

**to help you,**

**to keep you on the path you make for yourself**

**and pull you back when you lose your way.**

**Protect them.**

**Trust in them.**

**Like the mirror you hold in your pocket,**

**those around you reflect yourself.**

**Not what you look like,**

**but who you are as a person.**

**You are you. You are nothing but yourself.**

**But just as you cannot see your own face without a mirror,**

**you are blind to yourself without your friends to reflect your actions and words**

**back to you.**

**~ßßßßß~**

**Ed. Your name is Ed.**

**That's a good thing to know, don't you think?**

**It's one of those things taken for granted,**

**but where would we be**

**if we didn't know our own names?**

**You see the world in a different way than your friends.**

**You can sense emotions, feel what others are feeling,**

**and have a tremendous capacity for understanding.**

**You are one who can keep your friends together**

**when the world tries to rip them apart.**

**You have done it before, and will no doubt have to do it again.**

**Does it mean your friends are not really friends?**

**No.**

**Everyone fights sometimes. Disagreements, disputes, arguments,**

**if the world did not have them, would we ever see the other point of view?**

**And when your friends are blind to each other,**

**you can act as the eyes that will allow them to see from a different perspective.**

**~ßßßßß~**

**Edd, you're in a very strange predicament.**

**The logical world you know,**

**the reasonable world you love,**

**appears as if it has been torn apart at the seams**

**and taken you with it in the chaos.**

**But you're a smart lad.**

**You can see the rhyme and reason in things that others cannot.**

**You can tell patterns and logic in the workings of this world,**

**and though it seems to have come apart,**

**it has just widened.**

**Expanded.**

**And you can expand yourself to see it.**

**You must use your courage and wit**

**to make sense of this new world**

**and learn how to flow with it**

**with your friends.**

**You are loath to fight monsters**

**even though they threaten your life**

**and the lives of your friends.**

**Some may call it a sign of weakness,**

**but never forgetting what is needed**

**and learning to let go of things that aren't**

**are what will keep you and your friends**

**from becoming monsters themselves.**

**~ßßßßß~**

**Jimmy. Where are you?**

**You are so far from home.**

**From Sarah.**

**Why are you here, in this strange place, with these strange friends?**

**It is because they need you. And you need them.**

**Your power does not lie with that voice in your head,**

**but in your heart.**

**Use it to protect your friends**

**and yourself.**

**Can you see what lies ahead?**

**Of course not. That is why we go there,**

**so we can find out.**

**Dark times and many troubles await you,**

**but you must be courageous and never lose**

**your sense of humor.**

**~ßßßßß~**

**When you finish this cup of coffee,**

**your adventure will begin again.**

**You must travel to the port town of Carrot Rock.**

**There you will meet someone waiting for you.**

**It is someone you know,**

**though it may not be who you expect.**

**Kevin,**

**Ed,**

**Edd,**

**Jimmy,**

**and all those who may join you on your journey,**

**I wish you luck.**


	45. Painful Journeys

**Chapter 45**

* * *

"Are you sure you don't wanna come with us? Though, I guess you just got here."

"Rolf is sorry, but he is needed to protect his village."

The boys stood in the center of Rolf's town, a gentle wind blowing by as the townsfolk went about their business around them. Kevin averted his gaze from Rolf. It was as if they had reunited just a few minutes ago, and now they were going to part again. He felt a hard pat on his shoulder, and he looked up to see his friend smiling at him.

"But you can visit anytime you want, can you not? For you now, a trip to Rolf's home country should be little more than a trip to his house back at the cul-de-sac. You are always welcome here."

Kevin felt a smile forming on his own face. He turned behind him to see that Ed, Edd, and Jimmy shared the same feeling.

"You know, it is interesting," Rolf mused. "Rolf would have never imagined seeing the four of you together like this, not before today. Even though we kids of the cul-de-sac have all split apart, everyone is coming back together. Rolf would not be surprised if Nazz or the Kankers were the ones you'd meet at this Carrot Rock place."

Kevin smiled at the thought of meeting Nazz again, but it turned into a grimace when the Kankers came into mind.

"If you ever need us to come back, you can always call this number." Edd handed Rolf a small slip of paper. "Kevin calls his mother often—"

Kevin looked away in embarrassment, and Rolf chuckled.

"—so if you need anything or find something out, she'll be a reliable way to reach us."

Rolf's smile died down. "But Rolf's hometown does not have any telephone lines."

"Saturn Valley does," Jimmy said. "Well, not phone lines, but they do have working phones. I'm sure the Mister Saturns will let you use one anytime."

"Rolf does not like the idea of trekking through the Forbidden Valley again," the boy sighed, "but if it's important, he'll be more than willing to do so." He smiled again, and gave Kevin one more firm embrace. "Good luck, Kevin."

"Thanks." Kevin smiled cheekily, and added, "Now don't get too comfortable here. As soon as we put this whole mystery to bed, I'm gonna make everyone move back to the cul-de-sac."

With a final goodbye from Rolf, Kevin, Ed, Edd, and Jimmy raced down one of the cobblestone streets and disappeared with a low boom.

**~ßßßßß~**

The purple, double-ended steam engine chuffed quickly along the countryside, leaving a white plume of steam to rise into the air behind it. It towed behind it a single dining coach, which clicked and clacked loudly against the old, worn rails underneath it. Smooth, rolling hills of grass and flowers slid past it as the rails seemed to extend forever ahead.

"Are you sure you'll be alright on your own?"

The conductor, Kate, Ed, Edd, Jimmy and Kevin all sat around a table within the car. Despite the surfacing of uncomfortable memories in the familiar setting, they seemed faraway and faint, as though they were a dream. The air felt warm instead of tense, and light from the evening sun poured through the windows.

"Yea. If anything happens, we can always get out of there quickly. And we'll only need a ride once, you know."

"That's a good thing," the conductor said, "because this vill be zhe last time I'll give you one. I'm grateful zhat you four saved zhe passengers from before, but I haven't forgotten vhat zhe note said about people like you literally attracting trouble."

"But we didn't know that at the time," Edd defended.

"I understand zhat, which is why I'm thanking you rather zhan blaming you." He sighed. "Even so, zhis whole mess has been terrible for business. People have been uneasy about a train crossing zhe ocean as it is, but now we have to watch out for monsters as well. If zhis keeps up, we'll have to remarket ourselves as some kind of death-defying sport instead of a luxury express."

"Hey, at least we'd have the best catering for a death-defying sport in the world then," Kate announced proudly. The man's face lit up a little.

"Anyway, what's wrong with Carrot Rock?" Kevin asked. "You guys seemed hesitant when we said we needed to go there, even though you have a station there too."

"First off, this is technically these rails aren't meant to be part of Talastsbo's line," Kate explained. "We wouldn't travel along here normally, but as my father said, we owe you guys one." Her face grew stern, and she added, "Second, we've been hearing rumors about this town lately. They haven't been pleasant, I'll tell you that."

"L-like what?" Jimmy asked. He was the only one not to lean forward in interest as Kate explained.

"They say that the entire town is under some sort of quarantine. A self-imposed one, I might add. It's a port town, but ships were forbidden to dock there since a few weeks ago. Any attempt of contacting them has failed, and people are too afraid to investigate it personally."

"As such, I'm afraid we can only drop you off a ways away from it," the conductor said. "Again, my instincts are screaming at me not to let you go on your own, but you'd simply make the journey on foot otherwise. The least I can do is provide you with rest and food on the way there."

"Your hospitality won't go unappreciated," Edd chimed.

"Anyway, ve're still a few minutes away," the conductor said, "so is zhere anything less unnerving to talk about?"

The coach went silent. Kevin looked at his friends, expecting one of them to start a different conversation, but they simply looked back with the same face. There really wasn't anything to talk about, not anything that the two adults at the table would be able to follow. Kevin had to say _something_ though, if for nothing else but to break the awkward silence, and so he asked the first thing that came to mind.

"So, Ed. See any good movies lately?"

Ed's face lit up.

**~ßßßßß~**

The landscape around the train changed drastically. The lush hills of grass around them began to flatten out, and jagged rocks started poking out of the ground as it became less uniform and smooth. The sky turned a dim gray, and a light mist began to envelope the train as it slowed down to a stop.

Kevin, Ed, Edd and Jimmy exited the coach. Through the mist, they could see the silhouettes of buildings down the line. The air was still, and the only thing keeping the place from a deafening silence was the hissing of the locomotive in front of them.

"I hope you boys know vhat you're doing," the conductor said, helping lower Kevin's bike to the ground. "I vouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing I led you to anyzhing bad zhat might happen here."

"We'll be fine," Edd said quietly. A chilling feeling told him not to raise his voice. "I think. They said we'd meet someone we know here, and we don't actually 'know' anyone dangerous."

"Stick together, you guys," Kate commanded. "You're own your own from here."

The conductor stepped back into the coach and pulled the signal chord. The train let out another hiss of steam, and the boys caught a glimpse of Bart and Bernie waving at them from the cabin (albeit in the wrong direction) before the locomotive began to chuff backward along the tracks. Soon it was out of sight.

The four made their way to the town of Carrot Rock from there. The mist began to thicken as they approached some old, wooden buildings. A feeling of isolation, tiny yet suffocating, gripped at Kevin. He found himself making sure he was as close to Ed as possible, though he tried not to press up against him as Jimmy did. Edd huddled near them as well, holding his weapon at the ready.

The boys soon made it into the town. Not a hint of life or movement came to them as they walked down an empty street. The place looked like a ghost town; wherever they looked, every window and door that wasn't hastily boarded up was broken and dilapidated. A rotten stench wafted through the air as they passed by a fish market, with most of the produce rotting away in their stands.

The fog was dark and dense, draining any semblance of color from the area around them. Ed felt like he was in an old movie, with a choking noir all around him. No one dared make a sound, but Kevin found that the distressed looks from Edd and Jimmy were all the communication he needed.

Something was seriously wrong here.

The boys suddenly heard a sound, and turned. Through the mist, they saw a man walking toward them. He appeared to have a limp, as his frame rose and fell with each step.

"H-hello, sir!" Edd called. "Do you know why this place is—" The man began to limp faster, and fear tingled up the boy's spine. The area behind the silhouette grew darker, and the darkness bobbed and undulated as it grew more solid.

Kevin's eyes widened as the man's image came into focus. His pants and shirt were ripped and filthy. His leg was bent in an unnatural way, and he hobbled over it with his other one. He wore no shoes, and his fingernails and toenails were hideously long. His hair was in patches, his face green and decayed. The darkness behind him came into focus as well, forming a crowd of people with similar features.

"Z-z-z," Ed stuttered, huddling close to everyone, "Zombies!"

The zombies broke into a sprint.

Jimmy and Edd stood their ground, frozen in terror at the oncoming foes. Kevin and Ed stepped forward, serious looks on their faces.

"Alright, Ed, this is it!" Kevin shouted. "I know we've _both_ watched enough zombie flicks to know what to do here!"

"Right!" Ed shouted.

The two smaller boys watched in awe as the larger ones lowered their stances, spread their arms out…

and sprinted away in the opposite direction, dragging Jimmy and Edd with them.

"RUN AWAY!"

Edd found himself flung over Ed's shoulder while Kevin carried Jimmy on his bike, dashing away from the horde of zombies at a breakneck pace.

"What are you guys doing?" Edd screamed. "I mean, not that I have any serious objections, but—"

"First rule of zombie apocalypses," Kevin recalled, "you get bit or scratched, you're as good as dead."

"Rule two," Ed added, "you don't fight when you can run."

"I highly doubt that this is anything like a silly movie—" Kevin shot Edd a glare. "Err, carry on."

They continued onward until the clicking of Kevin's bike and the sound of Ed's footsteps on the asphalt road were the only things audible. Tired, they came down to a brisk walking pace. They were getting close to the ocean, Edd felt, as the smell of saltwater began to dilute the stench a little.

"Maybe this was a trap after all," Jimmy whispered.

"Maybe," Edd whispered back. "But this is our only lead. Perhaps we were meant to save this town, or someone in it. Let's see if there are any …s-survivors." He found that last word hard to say, and he gulped.

"Ed, do you sense anyone around here?" Kevin asked.

"Not now," Ed replied. "But I'll try." Setting Edd down, he sat on the ground and took a deep breath. Concentrating was difficult for him. When he closed his eyes and lost focus of the world around him, he felt his mind be bombarded with his own thoughts and emotions. The emotions of others brushed past him as well; he could feel Jimmy's terror, Edd's frightened curiosity, and Kevin's hope swirling around him. He mentally brushed past them to find the spot of power in his mind, and tapped into it. The darkness behind his eyes felt as if it was expanding, but the presence of his friends around him lit it up brightly. He expanded it further, feeling the dull presence of the wood buildings and the cold, sinister auras of the zombies around them. Like stars appearing in a clear night sky, he suddenly felt the thoughts and emotions of several people a ways away as he concentrated. Most of them were cluttered up in various buildings, and he took note of the group closest to them.

Ed broke from his trance, and opened his eyes to see that he was being carried on the back of Kevin's bike.

"Wh-what's happening?" he asked, sitting up behind Kevin.

"Oh, Ed, thank goodness!" Edd panted, running alongside Kevin's bike with Jimmy. Behind them was the zombie horde, hobbling and sprinting after the boys. "You were out for at least seven minutes!"

"But I-I—" It didn't feel like seven minutes to Ed. A memory found its way into his head, and he understood what it meant. "I really am slow," he said under his breath.

Turning his focus to the situation at hand, Ed jumped off Kevin's bike and placed an out-of-breath Jimmy on it. "This way," he shouted, taking the lead. "There are people here!"

The three followed him as he found a large, brick building up ahead. They raced around it to find the entrance. The wooden doors were locked, and Kevin pounded on them.

"Hey!" he called. "Is anybody in there?"

From deep inside, the boys could hear muffled voices. The moans and growls of the zombies far behind them were growing louder, though, and Kevin knocked again.

"G-go away!" they heard a frightened man whimper. "You'll have to find somewhere else to hide. We can't risk letting someone in!"

"Of all the rotten—" Edd brushed past Kevin, and spoke up.

"What is going on here? Where did all of these …_things_ come from?" he asked.

"Th-they're zombies, what more do you need?" the man shouted. "Everyone we'd ever buried in our graveyard is now walking the streets, attacking anyone in sight!"

"Y-you mean those things are actual people?"

"_Were_ people. They've all died long ago, and are just mindless corpses now."

"Does that mean we can kill them?" Kevin asked. "I mean, in self-defense?"

"None of us would have any objections," the man replied. "When they are wounded enough, they just turn into dust, but there must be hundreds of them out there! We all tried fighting them, but this town has been around for generations, and most of us escaped before the quarantine."

"That's all I needed to know," Kevin said, turning around. The wave of zombies was drawing closer from the other side of the building. "Come on, guys, let's have some fun."

"But what about not letting ourselves get bit or scratched?" Edd asked.

Kevin stepped back to the door. "Has anyone here actually been turned into a zombie?"

"N-no, I don't think so," the man replied. "But they're still out for blood! You should get out of here!"

The zombies came around the building on either side, surrounding the four boys at the door. Kevin quickly drew his wrench and smacked one of them clean in the head. Just as the man described, the area he hit disintegrated into a brown dust. The zombie fell over, and the rest of its body crumbled as it hit the ground.

"Rule three," Kevin announced, "if you can't run, you fight."

From there the battle started. The zombies came at the boys in waves, attacking with large groups at a time. Kevin swung his wrench like mad, taking out as many as three or four of them in one blow, but it quickly tired his arms out. Ed and Jimmy fought the undead foes with fire and ice, alternating between strong psychic attacks and physically picking off those that endured them. Edd used his weapon to great effect, taking out a line of enemies wherever he fired it.

The zombies kept pouring in. Kevin looked around, but no matter which direction he faced, there seemed to be an enormous crowd of undead around them. The others began to tire out, and he found himself healing scratches and using his assistance PSI more and more.

"I'm not sure how long I can hold out," Edd panted. He struggled to raise his cannon up, his arms trembling with its weight.

"I'm not going to last much longer either," Jimmy added. Sweat rolled down his face as he conjured up a large blast of flame, and he fell to his knees afterward.

_What are you talking about? You—I have plenty of energy left,_ the voice said enthusiastically.

"That doesn't help when my body is running low," Jimmy whispered back.

"We should run for now," Edd said. "Lets get to the docks. We should be safe if we can find a boat and get out to sea."

Kevin opened his mouth to object, but he found himself gasping too hard for breath to say anything. Grabbing his bike, he and Ed helped the other two as they found a sign pointing west and headed in that direction. Their movements were sluggish. Everyone was out of breath, and even the rush of adrenaline was beginning to fade.

At last, Kevin spotted a row of piers ahead through the mist. The four boys made their way to one and walked down it, scanning the sides for a boat, but they couldn't find any docked there.

"Let's try the next one," Edd huffed. "There should be plenty of piers for a town this size. It's just hard to see through the mist—"

He stopped mid-sentence, looking wide-eyed at the docks. The zombies had already caught up to them, and were making their way down the pier.

"W-what do we do?" Jimmy asked.

"I-I don't," Edd stammered, "I don't kn—look out!"

Kevin turned around. A zombie stood right behind him, ready to swing its long, unruly claws at him. Sensing no time to dodge, Kevin could do nothing but raise his arms to try and cover his face as time slowed down in front of him.

_Slash!_

The boy felt dust hit his face. He lowered his arms and looked to see a the blade of a long sword cutting through the zombie's torso. He focused on the sword as it finished its path, until a voice turned his attention to its wielder.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here!"

That voice. Kevin froze as he heard that deep, oily voice echo in his mind. The others behind him stopped in fear as well.

"First I finally get to use this old sword and blow off some steam, and now I find some old pipsqueaks to pay back."

The man smiled, and swung his sword at another zombie. It turned into dust, which flew at the man's already-dirty beard. His clothes were dark in the mist, but they were unmistakable: A grimy plaid jacket, a low, brown hat, and a gold ring on his finger. "You ever wonder how it feels to get blindsided by a solid metal door? Not to mention having to pay for damages to my trailer after that little incident."

"Y-you're…"

The man raised his sword and turned it to its blunt end. "It feels a little something like _this!_"

He swung it at Kevin. The boy quickly summoned his strength, and raised his wrench. The two weapons met with a loud clang, and Kevin's arms burned from the force. He could see into the man's eyes.

"Eddy's brother."

"Hey, I remember you," he smirked. "You're the guy who kept cowering behind the blue-haired freak."

Kevin sneered, and jumped back as Eddy's brother withdrew his sword. He felt his entire body trembling with fear and exhaustion. His scowl grew deeper at he tried to ignore it. Why was he so afraid of this guy? The zombies didn't attempt to approach them, as if _they_ feared the man as well.

"Wh-what are y-y-you doing here?" Edd asked.

"I'd like to know that myself," Eddy's brother spat. "Got bribed into comin' down here, and this is my welcome party. I should be asking you twerps the same thing."

"B-but h-how?"

"Uh, I sailed here?" he said, as if it were obvious. "Didn't my bro tell you I was a freaking whaler?"

Ed tensed at the mention of Eddy, and his eyes widened. Edd noticed this, and inched closer to him.

"H-how were w-we sup-supposed to know that w-wasn't a lie like everything else about you?" Kevin spat. His fear began turning into anger, but he didn't stop trembling.

"Hey, it's not my fault he idolized me. If he stretched the truth, that's his problem." Eddy's brother looked around. "Speaking of the brat, where is he? Off hiding somewhere, or was he too chicken to even—"

"Eddy is dead."

Kevin clutched his wrench tight, and looked at the man in the eye. Eddy's brother froze, wearing a flat yet malevolent look on his face. After a pause, he let out a chuckle.

"I'm not an idiot, ya know. If he's too cowardly to show his face, he should at least be…" He trailed off. Kevin's serious expression didn't waver. The three boys behind him all averted their gaze, looks of sadness on their faces.

"Your parents didn't even tell you, did they?"

"Quit giving me crap." His expression grew more stern. "Tell me where that prick's hiding!"

"He's _dead_, don't you get it?" Kevin stepped forward, and the two locked eyes. "He was killed, back at Peach Creek."

"Bullcrap!"

"He was killed, and everyone left Peach Creek because of it!"

"Shut up!"

"There wasn't even a funeral, everyone fled so quickly! Not that you'd even care!"

"I said shut the hell up!"

"How does it feel knowing you tortured him all his life and that when he finally redeemed himself, he died!"

"I'll kill you, you brat!"

"You never even—"

"Kevin!"

Edd's voice snapped Kevin's gaze away from the man. He felt tears streaming down his face, and he turned around. Ed knelt on the pier, his face buried in his arms. Edd and Jimmy knelt down to comfort him as he sobbed loudly. Kevin found himself choking down a lump in his throat.

"Y-you guys aren't lying, are you?" Eddy's brother whispered. "He's really…he's really…" The man growled, and brandished his sword. With a scream, he swung it hard at Kevin.

"What're you—" Kevin parried the strike with his wrench. "Alright, if that's how you want it, I'll take you on!"

Edd could only watch as Kevin and Eddy's brother fought before him. They swung their weapons madly, the first to strike only being blocked or deflected by the second. Both of them grunted and screamed in anger at one another. Zombies tried to attack them from behind, but the two simply wiped them out as they swung to hit the other

"Both of you, cease this at once!" Edd shouted. He cautiously stepped forward. Sparks formed when the weapons clashed, and made him flinch. "This is accomplishing nothing! We need to get to—"

"Shut up!"

Eddy's brother turned away from Kevin and swung his sword at Edd. In a desperate reaction, Kevin swung in the same direction to try and deflect it. The sword clashed with his wrench, and a sickening feeling shot through Kevin's stomach as he felt his weapon's momentum keep him from pulling it back.

_Crack!_

"Agh!" Edd screamed in pain and fell onto the pier. Kevin nearly let go of his wrench as he saw the boy clutch his leg in agony.

"Double-D!"

The boy continued to yell in pain as Ed and Jimmy ran up to him. Kevin stepped toward him, but the sound of something slicing through the air behind him forced him to jump away.

"You bastard!" Kevin gripped his wrench so hard that it made his knuckles hurt. Without a word, he conjured as much psychic energy as he could into his midsection. With a scream, he charged forward and let it burst out all at once in a blinding flash. Eddy's brother screamed and covered his eyes, and Kevin slammed his wrench hard into the man's side. His figure flew backwards, and bounced twice before his body sprawled along the ground before the pier.

Ignoring the fear of what he might have just done, he turned around. Edd lay on the ground, his screams of pain simmered down to loud groans. Ed and Jimmy knelt over him, tears in their eyes and looks of worry on their faces.

"D-don't worry, Double-D," Kevin said. "Let me use Lifeup on—"

"No!" Edd spat. "I-It was in the j-journal. Lifeup c-can't heal b-broken bones like—like this."

"What are you talking about?" Another chill gurgled in Kevin's stomach. "I know Lifeup Beta, though! If I just—" His hands trembling, he let the green energy sprinkle onto the boy's leg. It was bent, as if the bone was broken in half. When the energy touched it, the leg began to contort and compress, and Edd screamed loudly.

"Lifeup closes _direct_ wounds and fractures!" he howled. "It can't pull a break like this back together!"

"W-well, w-what do I-I do?" Kevin couldn't stop trembling. "What do we do?"

"Find a ship," Edd coughed. The skin was pulled tight around his fracture, forcing it to bend at an ungodly angle. "Ed-b-brother should h-have—"

Edd passed out from the pain.

Kevin froze, kneeling over the boy. Exhausted. Helpless. He felt something on his shoulder, and he looked up. Jimmy stood over him, holding his bike upright. The frail boy said nothing, but silently commanded the other three. Ed gingerly picked Edd up, and Kevin grasped the handles of his bike. He realized that he needed to lean on it just to stand up.

Slowly, slowly, they made their way down the pier, with Jimmy clearing the way of danger. They found Eddy's brother further inland, clutching his side and groaning.

"Do you have a boat?" Jimmy asked stoically. His mind felt numb. He wasn't sure about the others, but he felt as if his emotions had burned out. There was nothing left but logic. They needed to find a ship, and the only person who had one was Eddy's brother.

"T-two piers down," the man whispered.

"Can you get up?"

"Just get the hell out of here." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small ring of keys. Jimmy gingerly took them, and led Ed and Kevin down the dock.

"Wait." Ed looked down at the boy in his arms, to see Edd struggling for breath. He craned his head to look at Kevin. "D-don't. Don't l-leave h-him."

Kevin opened his mouth to protest, but Edd's head dipped back down, and he fell silent. Finding it more exhausting to stay still, he limped on his bike over to Eddy's brother. He found the sword a few feet away, and sheathed it in a holster around the man's waist. He crouched down and used the remainder of his strength to lift the man up and sit him on his bike.

"You idiot," he scolded. "W-why are you saving me?"

"I'd like to ask the same thing," Kevin whispered.

With Jimmy fending off the remaining zombies, the boys found an old boat on one of the piers. They quickly boarded it, and with Eddy's brother murmuring how to work the controls, they managed to shove off and sail into the Atlantic.


	46. Talking

**Chapter 46**

* * *

"Hey, I think I see something!"

Jimmy focused hard on the sight before him. The windows of the small boat's helm were dirty, but he could make out a vague shape rising from the sea. It was dark, and it stood out amongst the thick, gray fog that hovered above the colorless ocean.

The room enclosing the helm was thin, and the door was kept cracked slightly open. Jimmy called again, knowing that the boy outside could hear him. Between checking in on the others and Jimmy, Kevin spent the entire trip leaning against the starboard railing, looking out to sea. Jimmy heard the sound of footsteps against the old, wooden floor and the creaking of the door, and turned his head to see the boy walk in.

"That looks like the island," Kevin said. "Unless that scumbag's lying to us."

"I don't think he'd lie when he's on the ship too," Jimmy said. "He even taught me how to work this thing." He looked at the wheel and some of the various controls in front of him, mentally checking off what each important switch and widget did.

"That doesn't make up for what he did to Double-D," Kevin sighed. He turned and walked out of the small room. "Keep up the good work, and tell us when we're ready to dock."

"Aye-aye," Jimmy sighed as Kevin left. The irony was not lost on him. He'd always wanted to say that, now that he was actually on a real ship, but he couldn't bring himself to be cheerful now of all times. He sighed again to himself, and gripped the wheel tighter.

_You were too hesitant back there._

"Huh?"

_Back at Carrot Rock. I told you that we had plenty of PSI left, but you held back._

Jimmy found himself leaning to the side and thoroughly inspecting one of the ship's dials, as though he were trying to look busy. "What's your point? I'm just glad we got out of there alive."

_But there are still zombies there. Enemies, left undefeated._

He straightened up, and pondered for a minute. "I guess." He gasped, and added, "Oh no, and we left all those people behind!"

_We should have wiped the zombies all out when we had the chance._

Jimmy shuffled his feet along the floor uncomfortably. Ever since they left Rolf's village, the voice had begun to sound _different._ He couldn't place his finger on what it was—he couldn't really make out a definite "sound" for the voice in the first place, but a gut feeling told him that something was off.

"We'll come back," he said. "We'll get Double-D's leg fixed up, and do …something with Eddy's Brother, and we'll come back and save the town when we're more ready."

_That's assuming they survive that long._

"W-what?"

_You missed your first chance, and there might not be another one._

Jimmy gasped. They had essentially left the town to die from the remaining zombies. What if they really didn't make it back in time? He let his gaze fall to the floor and felt the voice's presence recede, as it usually did to leave him to his own thoughts for a while. Before it went completely dormant, though, he heard one last whisper from it.

_Listen to me more. I know what's best._

Jimmy stared ahead blankly as the island's features began to poke through the mist. It was small, but definitely civilized, with many buildings lined up along the coast.

**~ßßßßß~**

Kevin made his way across the deck of the small whaling ship toward the sleeping quarters on the other side. The fog was beginning to lift, and the sky above slowly gained color. He slipped into the room quietly.

Two bunkbeds took up either side of the wall next to the door. The floor was a stale, brown carpet, crusty and grimy from years of being trampled with sopping wet boots. The walls were thin and metal, and from the ceiling hung a small, flickering lightbulb that barely provided more light than the portholes. Occupying the buckbeds were Edd and Eddy's Brother, with the former on the bottom of one and the latter on top of the other, to keep as much distance between the two as possible. Ed kneeled by his friend, keeping his worried, fixated stare in place on his leg even as Kevin approached.

"He's getting worse," Ed whispered. Kevin examined Edd's right leg, and nearly reeled in disgust. It was puffy and swollen beneath the knee, where the bone had broken, and a few shards poked up through it where Kevin had tried to heal the flesh. The skin was a color that Kevin couldn't even place a name to, extending down to his foot and up to his thigh. Edd breathed slowly, with the occasional short gasp, but he didn't seem to be in much pain from the look on his face.

"We any closer to that island, Dingbat?"

Kevin turned around to Eddy's Brother. The man sneered at him from his bed, his hand pressed firmly on his midsection. He didn't look nearly as injured as Edd, but part of his shirt was stained a dark red, and Kevin figured he couldn't move on his own.

"Yea, we're gonna land soon. You'll be the hospital's problem then," he quietly remarked. "And ya know, insulting the guy saving your sorry butt isn't the smartest thing to do."

"Uh, _ding dong_, you're the one who hit me like this, remember?"

Kevin remained silent, and turned toward the door.

"How did he die?"

The boy stopped. He could feel the man's gaze pierce right through him. There was something strange about his voice. Though it was still sickening, as Kevin knew it, there was a hint of something else beyond the malice. The question was sincere—relative to the man's normally sarcastic tone, anyway.

"I'll tell you later. It's a long story."

And Kevin left.

**~ßßßßß~**

This was not good. This was not good. Not good. Not good.

Ed's mind was stuck on repeat. Not good. Not good. He looked at the leg of his friend. He could feel it, the unnatural way that Edd's right leg bent, just below the knee. He could feel pain of jagged splinters of bone poking at the skin, some of them piercing through, the others simply jabbing at it. It hurt. It made his leg scream in pain in a way he had never felt before.

Ed wanted the pain to stop, but he knew that if it did, it would return to Edd. Edd himself seemed at unease, even with his friend absorbing as much of the pain in his leg as he could. Ed didn't think about how he was able to do it. All he could concentrate on was making sure the person in front of him was still breathing. Edd had to stay alive. He had to! Ed couldn't lose another friend. He doubled over as the pain grew. Not good at all.

He felt something light press up against his back, and he looked up to see Edd's arm rubbing it.

"I'll be fine, Ed," he uttered weakly. "Kevin stopped all the bleeding, and I'm not going to die from a broken leg alone." He curled his lips into a smile and pulled his arm back. "Now go outside with him. If we're docking soon, then he'll need your help."

Ed choked down a sob, but otherwise silently complied. Edd gave him another smile, and he hesitantly returned it before walking slowly out of the room.

Edd squeezed his eyes shut and tried not to hiss as the pain in his leg slowly returned, getting stronger and stronger as it began to throb. He grimaced, and tried to think of something to take his mind off of it.

"Why'd you bring me along?"

Edd turned his head, his neck feeling unnaturally stiff. Eddy's Brother looked at him with a stern face, still holding his seemingly-permanent sneer. The light from the porthole behind him was dim, and the light above gave him dark features.

"We were told that we would meet someone there. Someone we had met before, though it wouldn't be who we'd expect." Edd gave a soft chuckle, ignoring how even the slightest movement agitated his leg even more.

"Well, someone's pulling both of our strings," the man said. He rolled his head to face the rusty ceiling, and continued, "I was bribed into coming here. Got a letter with a good wad of cash in it telling me that I'd find even more money at that blasted place. Didn't tell my crew about it, of course; they thought I was still at that theme park gig, and they'd've wanted in on the dough. And then _you_ guys came along. Thanks for this, by the way." He lifted up his shirt to reveal a large bruise on his side, dotted with small and large wounds that had begun to scab over, and then lowered it back down.

The room went quiet for a moment, until Edd found the courage to say, "You know, I should be thanking you."

The question caught Eddy's Brother off guard. Where he normally would have made a sarcastic jab at it, he found himself gracelessly sputtering, "For _what?_" He cursed inwardly, but said nothing as Edd began to elaborate.

"You are the reason why Ed and I—and Eddy as well, before …well," Edd could feel the man gazing at him now. He took a deep breath to collect his thoughts, thankful that talking helped him take his mind of his leg, and continued. "Now we are accepted by the others, where before we were ostracized and eschewed. Of course, on the surface that was our fault. We pulled scams to try and con the neighborhood children out of their money so that we could buy jawbreakers, and caused wanton chaos and destruction in the process. We all knew it was wrong, and that we'd be hated for it, but Eddy insisted, saying that the delectable sweets we'd gain would be worth being outcasts for.

"However, it wasn't until the day we first met you that I realized Eddy acted the way he did for a different reason." The man was now giving the boy his full attention, his eyes wide open in a mixture of anticipation and anger. "It was you. You bullied and tortured him before you moved out. You twisted him into believing that the only way to get ahead in life was to hurt and betray others before they could do the same to you. Eddy lived with this mentality, and led Ed and me by it. It was you who caused us to live lives as failing con artists, being hated and beaten regularly by those who we could have called 'friend' in another life."

"Well, I'm _so_ sorry that I—"

"I'm not finished," Edd interrupted. Eddy's Brother opened his mouth to say something rude, but the injured boy simply stared at him. He couldn't tell whether it was just from seeing someone with such a messed-up leg that bothered him, or if it really was in the boy's unwavering gaze, but the man found himself not saying anything. Even the light had stopped flickering at that moment, as if it were waiting for him to continue itself.

"However, it was because of you that Eddy realized this. That we all realized it, when you tortured him in front of everyone like that in Mondo A-Go Go. You united us, not just Ed, Eddy and myself, but also the other children who had resented us for so long. You became a common enemy, a bigger threat than the three boys who built cardboard booths to try and sell fake cream horns or squirt guns. Eddy eventually stopped lying, both about you and about himself, and came to accept who he was. In turn, everyone else accepted him, and Ed and me with him. After the whole ordeal, the three of us had finally achieved what we had once thought to be impossible."

Eddy's Brother remained silent, and he averted his gaze.

"I don't know why you treated your brother the way you did, or what you truly thought of him. You put us through hell, indirectly but undeniably, yet we eventually found our way out of it." Edd turned to the ceiling, and smiled. "And because of that, we're strong." His eyes drooped, and his expression relaxed.

Eddy's Brother simply stared at the boy, and he took a deep sigh. After a bout of thought, he reached into one of his pockets and shuffled through it, eventually finding what he was looking for and pulling it out. Edd turned to see what it was, and his eyes widened. In the man's hands was a gun; a sleek, black pistol, pointed right at the boy.

"If you really believe that, then let me make you stronger."

**~ßßßßß~**

"Now go outside with him. If we're docking soon, then he'll need your help."

Ed choked down a sob, but otherwise silently complied. Edd gave him another smile, and he hesitantly returned it before walking slowly out of the room.

The sky outside was a dull gray, but it was lighter than before. Kevin stood at the starboard of the ship, peering out over the water with his weapon in hand.

"What are you doing?"

"Shh." Kevin lifted a finger to his lips, turning toward Ed for only a second before snapping his attention back to the water. Ed quietly crept up to the boy, physically relieved as the pain in his leg diminished, but mentally perturbed that it was going back to his friend.

Kevin peered into the water, and took a step back. Suddenly, a large, fish-like creature jumped out of the sea and soared over Kevin. It opened its mouth to reveal rows upon rows of sharp teeth as it dove down to try to eat the boy. Kevin was focused where Ed was surprised, and the former swung his wrench like a baseball bat. He hit the fish-monster dead on, sending it flying back into the ocean a long ways away.

"Nice shot," Ed muttered, impressed.

"It helps to imagine Eddy's Brother's face on them," Kevin said. "Why Double-D said we bring that dork along is beyond me."

Another foe jumped from the sea to attack, but Kevin repelled it with experienced ease.

"Double-D is smart," Ed stated. "He knows what to do. Maybe Eddy's Brother can become a good guy, and help us along our quest!" Kevin cocked an eyebrow, and Ed sheepishly added, "Or something."

"Well, we got a boat out of him at least. I dunno if this island is what the coffee—err, voice in the coffee …or _whatever_ it was had in mind, but we're out of leads otherwise."

Ed leaned against the railing as Kevin knocked back another enemy. No more attacked for a few seconds, so Kevin inwardly deemed it safe to lower his weapon and join his friend.

"I wonder who the Mystery Man is."

"Me too, Ed," Kevin sighed. "I just hope he or she really knows what's happening to the world. I just wanna be able to go home, with you guys, and get the cul-de-sac back together. But to do that, we have to figure out the source of all this craziness, and put a stop to it."

"Do you think the Mystery Man can help us?"

"I don't know. I don't even know what we should be doing even if we weren't looking for this guy."

"Finding all the pieces of the Mystic Mirror?"

Kevin raised an eyebrow in confusion, but he understood what the large boy meant after a moment with an "Oh". He reached into his pocket and gingerly pulled out the mirror. It was as immaculate as ever, with a little over half of its edge smooth and circular while the other half was jagged and incomplete.

"Well, I guess we _do_ have this," he said, inspecting it, "but we don't even know what it _is_ exactly."

"Well, Double-D said there should be seven pieces," Ed mused. "Maybe if we unite all seven, a giant dragon or something will come out and grant us a wi—"

_Blam!_

Next to the boys, a small hole appeared in the wall of the sleeping quarters, peeling the metal back around it and sending chips of wood out of it. Kevin's eyes dilated, and he and Ed instinctively sprinted for the door. Kevin kicked it in so hard that it busted one of the hinges. In front of him, he saw Edd on the floor, floundering around in panic as Eddy's Brother aimed a gun at him from the top bunk of the bed.

"YOU—AUGH!" Kevin screamed, and swung his wrench down at the man's arm. Ed dove toward his friend on the ground. He sensed an immediate danger behind him, and rolled Edd away just as Eddy's Brother fired another shot. The man quickly withdrew his hand just as the wrench came down, but it managed to smack the gun out of it and onto the floor.

"What on earth is going on here?" Jimmy asked, standing in the doorway. Ed quickly pulled Edd off the ground, the injured boy hissing in pain at his leg. Kevin punched Eddy's Brother in the face angrily, but took a step back afterward to calm down.

All at once, the room suddenly quieted down. Edd coddled his leg, and Ed tried to absorb the pain again next to him. Eddy's Brother sneered at Kevin, his nose bleeding, but he silently withdrew his arms and showed no intention of fighting further.

"You're lucky I'm a bad shot," the man finally said. Kevin growled at him, and his lips curled into a sinister smile. "Alright, alright, I won't try and kill you guys anymore. I just had to blow off some steam, and your girlfriend here was spouting all this bullcrap about how I somehow made you all friends."

Kevin gave Edd a questioning look, and the hatted boy simply responded with a shake of his head.

"I'll explain later," he wheezed. He looked at the gun laying on the carpet, and asked, "What are we going to do with this?"

"Keep it."

Edd looked up at the man. "Beg pardon?"

"Keep it, moron," Eddy's Brother said. "Like I said, I'm a bad shot, and that's my last clip of ammo." He smirked, knowing that all four boys still had a myriad of questions, and added, "And I know you don't have the guts to try and shoot me for all this. Consider it another thing you can thank me for."

Edd looked at the weapon, ignoring the pain in his leg for a moment, and stammered, "I-I couldn't. I m-mean, it's a real f-firearm. I c-couldn't possibly…"

"You won't have to use it if you don't want to," Kevin said, carefully picking the gun up and placing it on Edd's lap, "but it's better you have it than this dork." He smiled, and added, "And you'll know when it's the best time to use it. You're the smart one, after all."

Eddy's Brother rolled his eyes, but said nothing. Jimmy and Kevin carefully lifted Edd back onto the bunkbed, and Ed noticed the former's presence.

"Um," he said sheepishly.

"What is it, Ed?" Jimmy asked.

"A-aren't you supposed to be driving?"

Jimmy's eyes dilated.

"Uh…"

And then the ship crashed into the harbor of Mangosteen Isle.


	47. Small Island

**Chapter 47**

* * *

"You idiots owe me a new boat."

The group watched from the safety of the docks as the whaling ship before them slowly began to sink into the water. Ed cradled Edd in his arms while reluctantly supporting Eddy's Brother on his shoulder. Kevin said nothing, feeling sorry for Jimmy as the boy tried and failed to hide his shame. A group of people gathered to inspect the crash and inquire about what happened.

"Worry about the boat later," Kevin said to a man staring at the wreck. "Right now my friend needs to get to a hospital!"

Eddy's Brother scowled at Kevin for not mentioning him. He curled up his fists threateningly, but he knew he could barely stand without leaning on Ed. Kevin pretended not to notice. Gasps emerged from the group of people as Ed turned around to show everyone the boy in his arms. A few ran off, while one of them dialed on his cell phone and contacted the paramedics.

After a few minutes of answering a multitude of questions with as short and vague of answers as possible, the group noticed four men carrying stretchers and medical supplies running up to the scene. The paramedics carefully placed Edd on one stretcher and Eddy's Brother on another, and marched through the docks further into the island with them. Kevin, Ed and Jimmy followed, keeping up with the mens' jogging pace.

They followed the paramedics along a narrow road, passing by many people along the way. The island was very small. The docks seemed to stretch all the way around it, curling out of view in either direction. A few squat yet modern buildings lined the area further away from the ocean, and the center of the island sloped up to a large, flora-covered hill. The sky was clear, with the sun shining brightly and some white clouds few and far apart, but Kevin felt cold chills pass through his clothes whenever the wind blew. He wished he had brought his jacket with him, and couldn't help but notice a strange, ominous feeling in the air. He felt himself almost trying to press up against his bike as he carried it beside him.

"What happened to these two?" One of the men carrying Edd from behind asked.

"It's a long story," Kevin said, feeling that the paramedics deserved more of an answer than the others. "But in short," he pointed at Edd, "he got hit in the leg with a heavy object." Then he pointed at Eddy's Brother, and said, "And he's a dork. You can save yourselves some work and just dump him somewhere."

Kevin barely dodged a rather impressive wad of spittle hawked by the man on the stretcher.

"How long ago did this happen?"

"A few hours, I think," Kevin replied. "I stopped the bleeding in his leg—well, kinda, anyway."

"I can tell." The gray-clad man grimaced as he looked at the boy's leg. "I've never seen something like _this_ before."

"C-can you fix it?" Kevin suddenly felt very worried, and he felt his stomach tighten.

"We have a pretty good surgeon. I'm sure we can get the bone back in place, but working with this strange skin pulling things so tight like could be tricky. I'm not a surgeon myself, though, so I'm not a hundred percent sure."

"I'm sure I'll be fine," Edd wheezed, "If worst comes to worst, all they'll have to do is amputate!"

He smiled, trying to make it sound like a joke, but Kevin felt his eyes go misty as he found himself at a loss for breath.

Ed jogged to try and keep as close to Edd's side as possible, but the men in gray uniforms told him to stay behind them. He complied, albeit reluctantly, and positioned himself next to Kevin. The number of people around them began to shrink as they went up a hill, and they soon passed a particularly tall man in a black coat and—

_"Daddy, can I see it? Please? Please?"_

_"Be very careful, Steven. This is tool, not a toy."_

_"But it's so shiny!"_

_Ed felt the object get gently placed in his hands, its smooth, metallic surface feeling alien yet fascinating against his fingers. Dad smiled at him through his thick beard as he held it in wonder, examining every nook and cranny._

And then Ed realized he wasn't holding anything, nor was his father anywhere to be found. He didn't even remember his father ever having a beard before. He gasped and turned around, just in time to see the man walk around a corner. The boy stood in bewilderment.

Who was that?

He gasped, and turned again to see the paramedics and his friends far ahead. He sprinted to catch up to them, and quickly forgot why he had fallen behind.

The group soon reached the hospital, a building quite a ways back from the ocean and further up the hill than most. The paramedics quickly took Edd and Eddy's Brother inside, and the people within scrambled to get to work. Edd was immediately put onto a gurney and wheeled away to another room, much to Ed's vocal concern, while Eddy's Brother's injury was deemed less life-threatening and he was taken to a different one. The three remaining boys made to follow Edd, but a portly woman manning the help desk instructed them to wait.

After a few minutes, a nurse emerged from down the hall. Kevin jumped from his seat as the man walked toward him.

"Is he gonna be okay?" he asked.

"He's suffered a bad blow to the side and broken quite a few ribs, but we'll get him patched up in a—"

"Not _him_," the boy hissed. "I mean the one in the hat!"

The nurse seemed taken aback, but he cordially replied with, "Well, your friend is like nothing we've ever seen before. His leg is fractured in many different places, but the skin all around it has healed in a strange way. Just how long ago was he injured? How, exactly, did this all happen?"

"Uh, a few hours ago," Kevin replied, sheepishly. "Look, I'll explain the details later, but for now let's just say I—I…" his voice trailed off, and he suddenly felt his mouth go dry. "I…a-accidentally hit his leg with a w-wrench. I-it was an accident! I was just trying—"

The man put an embracing hand on Kevin's shoulder. "Here, we help people first and blame people later. All we needed to know is what happened so we can know for sure how to fix him up." He walked away, and the emergency room suddenly went quiet. The boys sat down on some chairs near the door, the only people in the room save for the lady at the desk, and began to wait.

Despite Ed's fear, Kevin's anxiety, and Jimmy's concern, the biting feeling of sheer boredom soon overpowered all of them. Where they once sat still, they fidgeted around, and looked at the clock impulsively. It was still only early in the afternoon, as it had been for what felt like hours. The lady at the desk took notice of this.

"Mangosteen isn't really a tourist island," she said, "but there are things to do here, and the streets are safe. Why don't you get up and walk around for a bit? The surgery will take a few more hours at least."

The three boys began to rise from their seats, and the woman added, "You can also go visit your…erm, chaperone, if you like. He's all patched up now, and resting in the—"

They hastily walked out the door before she could finish.

"D-do you think Double-D will be okay?" Jimmy asked. The three made their way down a narrow road toward the docks, not really having a destination in mind. Kevin and Jimmy found themselves subconsciously being led down the road by an oddly-determined Ed.

"Of course he will," Kevin said. "Once they get his leg back together, I should be able to heal it for real this time, and then we can leave Eddy's Brother here and get going."

"Going where?"

Kevin stopped. He knew that they were out of leads, but getting Edd to safety had been his top priority. He racked his brain for ideas, but when it came to thinking of a place to go, it came up blank.

"Maybe we can go back to Lemon Brook, and see if Sarah's found anything out," Jimmy suggested.

"I guess that would be alright," Kevin said, "but we should stay here until Double-D gets better. I still don't trust my powers enough to leave someone on their own, in case I can't teleport back for some reason." He looked up at the sky for a moment, sighing, and then said, "Ed, you have any ideas?" He looked back in front of him, and saw not a hint of green jacket or buzzed hair anywhere.

"Ed?"

**~ßßßßß~**

Steven Reichson knew he was being followed almost instantly as he made his way home from work. He knew well that he was a very tall man. His hair was completely plastered smooth, and he wore a thick, black coat whenever he went out. Despite this, he didn't feel like the most suspicious- or ominous-looking person on this island. It was rather cold out, and many people had thick jackets like him. He had never been involved in a crime before, and has been rather disconnected to the strange happenings that have been going on around the world as of late.

So why would someone follow him?

Then again, the pursuer in question appeared to be a large child with a green jacket and buzzed hair, from the glimpses Steven caught of him out of the corner of his eye. The boy was definitely focused on him in particular; he moved in quick bursts, stopping only to hide behind crates or lamp posts or other spots when the man looked behind him. Steven felt that the boy would have more success in being stealthy if he didn't keep poking his head out of his hiding places, and soon became rather unnerved at the way the strange kid stared at him with wide eyes.

"Okay, I give," he said, turning around. "Is there something you want?"

The boy initially snapped his head behind a crate, but he slowly moved out from it as Steven kept his gaze. He eventually moved out from behind it completely, showing himself in full.

"Oh, sorry. I—um, well…"

"Is something wrong?" Steven tried his best to soften his expression. He wasn't used to seeing many children on Mangosteen Isle; none that weren't already hardened and matured by living near the sea in such a place, anyway.

"Um, are you…" he averted his gaze, and softly asked, "are you dead?"

"Beg pardon?"

"Are you dead?" he repeated. "I mean, not like a zombie, but…um, dead? Like you're supposed to be dead, but you…are here?"

Steven was taken aback. Did kids from other places ask questions like this normally?

"Um, no, I don't believe I am dead," he replied. "Why do you ask? Do I look like a—er, not a zombie, but like I'm dead?"

"Well, no." The boy's eyes gravitated toward the ground, and he looked as though he was wracking his brain for the right thing to say. "But I kinda felt—"

"Ed, there you are!"

Two more children came up from behind the green-clad one. The first wore a green sweatshirt and a backwards red cap with a strange-looking badge attached to it, carrying a simple one-speed bike with him without actually riding it. The other looked much more dainty, garbed in a light-blue shirt and sporting a curly tuft of hair that bobbed up and down as he ran.

"Don't leave us behind like that," the one carrying the bike said to Ed. "We don't wanna lose track of where the hospital is."

Hospital? No one had been checked in for at least a few days, unless…

"You're the group that was on that ship, aren't you?" he asked. "The ship that crashed a while go?"

"Y-yea. We didn't think it was that big a deal, what with our friend being hurt and all." For some reason, the dainty child turned his head away and tried to hide his face behind his shoulder. "Anyway, was Ed here bothering you? He kinda went off on his own."

"Not really," Steven replied. "He asked me if I was dead, though, which is peculiar. Do you know why?"

"No, not really," The bike boy turned to Ed, who shyly averted his gaze. "He's just really nervous, because our friend's going into surgery. He's kinda the oddball of the group."

"I—We passed you, and I felt something in my hands," Ed stammered. "I felt something, um, be given to me. I don't know what it was, but I saw a bearded man, smiling, and I—or you—or someone called him 'Dad', and then…you just seem familiar. I think."

Steven couldn't make heads or tails of this boy. "Well, my father _did_ have a beard, but so does everyone's father around these parts. And I'm sorry, but I've never seen any of you before. Do I look like someone you know?"

"Not really. Anyway, see you later." The two boys turned around, and Ed followed behind them. The boy looked back at Steven, who nodded at him and smiled. He smiled back gently, and they soon turned a corner and walked out of sight.

What strange boys those are, thought Steven Reichson.

**~ßßßßß~**

Edd felt sick as his consciousness returned to him. A fierce soreness in his leg was the first thing to wake up, then the rest of his body gained feeling, and he finally opened his eyes.

"How are you feeling, Eddward?" he heard a woman's voice ask him.

"Smmck," he mumbled. It hurt to speak.

"Well, the surgery was a success. After a few days of rest, we'll give your leg a cast and in a few weeks you'll be good as new," she said cheerily.

"Th-thenk yu," he said drunkenly.

"Now just get some rest, and press this button if you need anything." She pointed to a control panel on his hospital bed. Among the buttons that allowed him to adjust the angle of different parts of the bed, one of them showed a picture of a stick-figure nurse on it. The woman left the room, and Edd closed his eyes. Sunlight poured in gently through the window on the other side, giving the white walls a slight glow. The place seemed peaceful, and it was almost silent, until…

"Dang it. I was really hoping they'd amputate."

Edd groaned quietly. Of course the hospital would put them together. He knew he had to give Eddy's Brother a chance, but ever since the latter pulled a gun on the former, the thought of sharing a hospital room was not the most pleasant one. Thankfully, a curtain separated the two from each other's sight.

"Well, it seems like they had to remove part of my knee," Edd said when he felt more awake, diagnosing his leg through how sore different parts of it were. "If it's any consolation, I'll probably walk with a limp from now on."

"Yea, and you probably would've gotten some kickass prosthetic anyway."

Edd chuckled in his bed. Wait, was he really having a somewhat pleasant conversation with this man? He held up a hand to his chin, and began to ponder.

"So, what exactly did you do as a whaler?" he asked.

"I hunted whales."

"Erm, yes, but what was your role on the ship? You mentioned you worked with other shipmates."

"What do you care?"

"Nothing, just making conversation."

"With the guy who tried to shoot you a few hours ago?"

"I was thinking the same thing," Edd said, "but I have the gun now." He looked down and found himself wearing nothing but a hospital gown. He gasped, and felt his head. Thankfully, his hat was still on, undisturbed for whatever reason, and he sighed in relief. "Well, the hospital probably took it. But in either case, you don't have it anymore."

"And so that suddenly makes me your _BFF forever_," he said in a girly, singsong voice.

"Well, looking back at Ed's, Eddy's and my past mistakes, I've learned that you can't judge people from just their first or even second and third impressions." Edd looked up at the ceiling again, happy to have an audience as he stated his thoughts aloud. "You only truly get to know people by being around them constantly, and seeing the person they are every day. Like I said earlier, the only thing the three of us changed about ourselves for the others to go from holding us in contempt to being good friends was to stop trying to con them out of their money. Sure, Eddy became a little more humble, both about himself and definitely about you, but he was still _Eddy_ after that whole ordeal. Arrogant, short-tempered, the works. But he no longer had anything to hide, no facade of a reputation to uphold as it were, and people accepted him because they were able to look past his mistakes and help him atone for them."

"So what does this have to do with you being a total moron and trusting a guy like me?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Edd turned his head toward the curtain, seeing the man's silhouette do the same. "I believe the same can happen to you. That you can break out of that hard shell of spite and maliciousness, and that you're a good person deep down."

The man let out a short laugh. And then another. Eventually, he burst out laughing for a good minute. When he finally calmed down, he said, "Oh, that's rich."

"I'm serious, though." Edd smiled.

"That's what makes it so funny! You know what, if you're so sure that I'm _such a good person_, I think I'll stick with you brats for a while, just to prove you wrong."

Bingo.

"You've got yourself a deal," Edd said. "I must warn you, though, we're on quite the dangerous journey."

He could feel Eddy's Brother's expression grow serious.

"You know what, I don't think you're giving me any crap on that one. What the hell _were_ you guys doing in that zombie town anyway?"

"Well, if you'll believe me, I'll tell you the whole story," Edd said. "It began a few weeks ago, when—"

Suddenly, a low rumble boomed from outside. A few seconds later, the two felt the hospital shake a little from under them.

"What the?"

**~ßßßßß~**

"Ed! Jimmy! Are you okay?" Kevin scrambled to his feet and helped his friends to theirs. What felt like a sudden blast had knocked them all down, and they quickly noticed a plume of smoke rise from the harbor. The boys ran down to it as fast as they could, pushing against a crowd of frightened people running the opposite direction.

When they finally got there, Kevin nearly dropped his bike. Someone stood in front of a charred boat sinking into the water, a girl hung over his shoulder. The girl's hair was darkened with a little ash and debris, but it was unmistakably blonde. She wore a white tank top over a black shirt, and though her hair hung over her face, it was clearly fashioned in a bowl cut.

"N-No way," Kevin stuttered. "Is that—N-Nazz?"

The person holding Nazz turned his head from the sea as the boys got closer, and Kevin saw his reflection in a shiny, black visor.

Kevin, Ed and Jimmy froze in fear as Helmy held up his hand, filled it with energy, and blasted an intense wave of fire at them.


	48. Battle Against a Brutal Foe

**Chapter 48**

* * *

"Duck!"

Kevin dove into the ground as the wave of flame flew toward him. Ed fell onto the ground as well. In the corner of his eye, Kevin saw that Jimmy didn't make an attempt to dodge the oncoming attack.

"What are you doing?"

_Do it. Now!_

Jimmy thrust out his hands and let power flow from them. Kevin, Ed, and even Jimmy himself watched in awe as a crimson diamond of energy formed around the boy. It appeared as a tesselation of floating geometric shapes, which spun and moved around each other in animated patterns. The fire slammed into it, but instantly dissipated without even enough force to tousle Jimmy's light hair. He let out a laugh in surprise, but he quickly dove to the side in fear as Helmy began to charge at him, Nazz in tow.

"Be careful, Jimmy!" Kevin called as he helped Ed to his feet. "Psychic Shields don't work against physical attacks!"

"I—EEP!—thought as much!" the boy cried as he barely dodged a swift punch from the masked man. His fist phased through the shield as if it wasn't there. The adversary managed to trip him, and Jimmy rolled along the ground. Helmy made to stomp on the boy's head.

Ed leaped forward, pulling Jimmy out of the way. All of a sudden, Helmy grabbed Nazz off of his shoulder and tossed her high up into the air. Kevin scrambled to his feet and dove to catch her, but Ed reacted more quickly and she landed in his arms instead.

"Oh god, it really _is_ Nazz," Kevin lamented when he saw her face up close. Ed set the girl gently on the ground. Kevin saw Jimmy scramble to his feet, and turned to see another wave of flame blast toward him. Jimmy jumped in front of Kevin, his shield making the fire disappear. Kevin gasped as he saw Helmy charging toward them, but Ed intervened again.

The two began to fight one another unarmed. They both threw wild punches and kicks, inexperienced yet fierce, landing the occasional blow to one another. Ed was quick to brush off any of the man's hits. Helmy's black gloves were studded at the knuckles, but they hit weakly. Helmy himself took longer to recuperate from any blows from Ed, who was much stronger. It wasn't until the man produced a knife that Ed finally used PSI, and the battle literally exploded as the two began firing strong spells of fire, ice and lightning at one another.

While this went on, Kevin helped Jimmy to his feet, and healed him of his bruises.

"Do you two think you can handle this dork on your own for a bit?"

Jimmy opened his mouth, but quickly yanked Kevin to the ground as another wave of flame flew over their heads.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"To get reinforcements!"

A stray chunk of ice shot skyward from the commotion and fell toward Kevin. Jimmy quickly scrambled on top of him to let his shield disintegrate it.

"I think we'll be okay for a bit. Hurry though!"

"Right! Make sure Nazz stays safe!" Kevin jumped onto his bike and pedaled as fast as he could toward the hospital.

**~ßßßßß~**

"Do you hear that?"

"Dude, I _feel_ that."

Edd and Eddy's Brother lay in the hospital room, immobile and tense. Outside they could hear faint rumbles and noises. Sounds like objects hard yet brittle shattering against something percussed amidst a chorus of low, thunder-like booms. The floor underneath them shook gently every few moments.

Suddenly, Kevin burst into the room, and the sound of flustered hospital staff added to the noise outside.

"Kevin! What's going on out there?" Edd asked.

"It's Helmy," Kevin sputtered, nearly out of breath. "He's here, and he's got Nazz!"

"What?" Edd sat up, and his leg immediately burst into pain. He hissed, and bent over it.

"We need your help," Kevin said, rushing over to his friend's bed. He held his hands over Edd's leg, but suddenly stopped himself. "Uh, I-I can heal you now, right?"

"The doctor says the surgery was a success, so I'm sure that now my injury is direct enough to heal."

"What the crap are you guys talking about?"

"None of your business."

"We'll explain in a second."

Kevin gave Edd a quizzical look, and Edd responded by scowling in pain and looking at his leg.

Kevin raised an eyebrow, but he quickly turned his focus to his hands. They trembled as he held them over his friend's leg, which was stitched and bandaged. The memory of what happened to the boy's leg the last time remained scarred in his head, along with an intense regret. This time, though, Edd smiled at him, and he steeled himself. Casting away the doubt in his mind, he muttered, "PSI Lifeup Gamma."

The boys watched in awe as Kevin's hand glowed a brighter, deeper green than ever before. The bandages rippled on Edd's leg, and gently fell off. Underneath them were stitches, which began to untie themselves and slip out as the wound beneath them closed shut. Kevin felt a rather large portion of energy leave his mind, and he took a few more deep breaths.

Edd's leg was healed.

The two gave one another a bright smile, and Edd turned to get out of bed. He tried to stand, but stumbled forward. Flailing around to regain his balance, he fell and tore down the curtain separating him from Eddy's Brother.

"What the heck are you guys doing?" the man asked. His face contorted in shock as he saw Edd slowly get back to his feet. "W-what the hell? What about your leg?"

"I may have forgot to mention," Edd said, rubbing the back of his head shyly, "but most of my friends possess a form of psychic powers."

The man's face froze as the two boys in front of him suddenly began to argue.

"Why the heck should I heal him?"

"Because, like you said, we need help!"

"I said I needed _your_ help!"

Another tremor shook the building more intensely than the previous ones. Kevin decided to cut the debate short, and he carelessly cast Lifeup on Eddy's Brother.

The man sat up and placed a hand to his chest. His ribs were no longer broken, and the pain was all but gone. "Wow, that's pretty—" He gasped, and scowled at Kevin. "You mean you coulda done that the whole freaking time?"

"Yea, but I didn't think you were worth the effort!"

"Gentlemen!" Edd cried, "you can argue later!"

Kevin and Eddy's Brother exchanged sneers, but simultaneously snorted and looked away. Edd turned toward the door, and Kevin's eyes widened. Behind him, he could feel surprise emanate from Eddy's Brother as well.

Edd was hobbling to the door with a strong limp.

"Oh god, are you okay?" Kevin asked. "D-did I—"

"I expected as much as this," Edd replied. "I explained it to Eddy's Brother: the doctors had to cut out a part of my knee, so I won't be able to fully bend this leg anymore." He faced the door, and added, "But I won't be the one to slow us all down!"

And he dashed out of the room with uneven steps.

Edd, Kevin and Eddy's Brother quickly made their way out of the hospital, picking up their clothes and weapons against many a staff member's objections, and hurried down toward the harbor.

**~ßßßßß~**

_Isn't this amazing?_

Jimmy didn't have time to think of a response. He jumped and flipped and danced around Helmy, the two in constant motion in attempt to get a hit on one another. The rest of the world no longer existed. Jimmy and Helmy were all there was, batting at each other with fire and ice and lightning. Their shields protected them for the most part, so it was all a battle of endurance; one that Jimmy knew he would win. Every blast of flame, every conjuring of ice or electricity added more adrenaline to his system, and time seemed to slow down.

In the back of his mind, he was worried. Ed had been stricken down, and Jimmy's golf driver had been knocked out of his hands. He only had his fists and his PSI. And the Voice.

_Keep it up! You're my vessel, my medium. Without you I cannot use my power! _We_ cannot use it!_

Jimmy cast away his worries, and focused on Helmy. His muscles began to ache as he danced to dodge the man's punches. He panted and gasped for air. He swung his arms and felt enormous bursts of power form into physical attacks from them. The only thing he could see was Helmy. His opponent. His target.

It came as a rather big surprise, then, when Jimmy saw his target get kicked in the head by someone else.

A man and Helmy rolled along the harbor, struggling to pin the other to the ground. Jimmy watched, flabbergasted. The feeling of not constantly moving to dodge or attack was strange to him, and he fell to his knees as exhaustion began to envelope around his body.

"Jimmy, are you alright?"

A familiar voice broke through Jimmy's trance, and he shook his head. The rest of the world came back into view, and he saw Edd standing in front of him.

"Oh dear, these look serious. Can you hold on for a minute until Kevin gets done?"

Jimmy, realizing what Edd meant, let out an "Oh!" and stood up. His legs trembled fiercely below him, and he felt the other boy's arm reach out to support him.

"I'm okay, Double-D."

"You sure don't look the part."

Confused, Jimmy looked himself over, and gasped. All around his body were welts and cuts and bruises. They stretched around his arms and down toward his hips. His clothes were torn and scraped, and his hands were completely red. Jimmy didn't even remember getting half of these injuries, but they assured him through a rising pain that they were the real deal.

Edd quickly walked Jimmy a ways across the harbor. Eddy's Brother had gotten Helmy's attention, and the two fought each other one-on-one. Up ahead, the two boys saw Kevin kneeling over Ed and Nazz. Sweat dripping from his brow, Kevin muttered, "PSI Healing Gamma."

**~ßßßßß~**

Someone mumbled something. It seemed familiar somehow. The voice.

Nazz felt something warm tingle around her body. The darkness around her began to lift as her consciousness returned. Her eye fluttered open. That's right, she thought, I still have that eyepatch.

"N-Nazz!" There came that voice again. Nazz sat up off of the hard, cobblestone ground, and saw a boy kneeling beside her.

"K-Kevin?" His green sweatshirt, red cap and nearby bike were unmistakable. "Kevin! It is you!"

Nazz leapt forward and hugged the boy. Her arms quickly grew slack, however, and she felt a wave of exhaustion come over her.

"Don't move too much," Kevin said, gently embracing her. "You just woke up." He smiled at her, but it began to fade into a look of concern. "What…what happened to you?"

Nazz gave him a questioning look, but then she looked herself over. She had a lot of scars on her arms and her face, not to mention the eyepatch. She was battle-worn, but looking up, Kevin seemed to look like it as well.

"It's a long story," she said. She looked around, analyzing her surroundings. She was in a harbor of some sort. Kevin and Ed stood next to her, helping her up, while Edd supported a beaten Jimmy toward them with a limp.

She gasped, remembering what had happened on her boat, and asked, "Did you guys see a man with a helmet anywhere?"

Kevin looked at her blankly, and pointed behind her. Nazz turned around, and saw the helmeted man fighting with someone else. "Is that…?" Her eyes widened. "Is that Eddy's Brother?" She heard an affirmative grunt from Kevin, and watched the brawl as it took place.

The helmeted man and Eddy's Brother were locked in battle further down the harbor. Eddy's Brother wielded a katana, swinging it around furiously while the helmeted man parried it with a knife and his strange psychic powers.

"Nazz, do you know this guy?" Kevin asked.

"Of course! We all met him at his trailer, and he beat up Eddy and we all learned—"

"I-I think Kevin means the man in the helmet," Edd stuttered. The boy was red in the face and trembling, as he always seemed to be when Nazz was around him. There was a look of seriousness in his eyes, though, and Nazz felt a myriad of questions swimming in her head.

"Oh. I don't know who he is, but he attacked my boat and knocked me out. I dunno what the heck he was doing all the way out in the ocean like this, but he just jumped from sea and stormed our boat."

A strange sound reached them from the conflict down the harbor. Nazz recognized it as the sound psychics made whenever they used an ability, and she turned to see the helmeted man protected by a physical shield of energy. Eddy's Brother struck at it furiously with his sword, and was blasted away by a casual spell of fire from his opponent.

"I can't believe I'm saying this," Kevin muttered, "but he needs our help!"

"I've got this," Nazz said, smiling. She shuffled around in her pockets for a bit, and smiled wider upon feeling something rubbery. She pulled out her trusty Shield Snatcher, and chuckled at the looks of confusion and disbelief on all the boys' eyes.

"A sticky hand!" Ed cheered.

Nazz smiled. The item she held certainly did look like a novelty sticky hand, but she knew what it really was.

"Wh-what are you going to do with that thing?" Kevin asked.

"Watch this."

Nazz swung the Shield Snatcher around, and whipped the hand end of it toward the helmeted man. It plastered itself onto the shield, and Nazz yanked it back.

With a loud _RIIIIIP_, the hand peeled the force field away, and the man's shield disappeared.

Everyone froze, and stared at the girl. Even Eddy's Brother stopped to give a confused glance in her direction.

"…What are you guys looking at? Go!" She motioned toward the helmeted man, who sprinted forward at the group.

Everyone shook their heads and turned their attention toward the man. However, another psychic sound rang out, and Nazz's vision suddenly turned pure white.

**~ßßßßß~**

Edd closed his eyes as the effects of PK Flash hit everyone in the area. He felt an intense light pierce through his lids, but otherwise felt no ill effects as he held onto Jimmy. He opened his eyes a moment later to find that the boy had cast up a psychic shield around them. Nazz, Kevin, Ed, and Eddy's Brother were all writhing on the ground, and Edd felt Jimmy's knees buckle from under him as the boy passed out from exhaustion. Edd lay the boy gently on the ground, and found himself to be the only one standing against Helmy.

"What do you want from us?" he asked.

The man in the motorcycle helmet simply brandished his knife, walking sinisterly toward the boy.

"I see. May I ask who sent you?"

The man shook his head.

"Who you are?"

The man shook his head again.

"Then, if I may be so rude as to ask, what will you do once your mission is over?"

The man stopped.

Edd blinked. He didn't think that Helmy would even respond to that last question, let alone stop to mull it over. The man looked down at his gloved hands, one holding a knife and the other worn from battle. Both of them began to tremble.

"Who are you? Why did you hesitate to kill me back then?"

Helmy shook his head. He swung his knife through the air and regained his composure. He sprinted right at Edd.

"YAAH!" Ed tackled the man to the ground. The two of them wrestled on the cobblestone walkway, struggling to get on top of one another.

"The gun," Edd heard a deep voice say. He turned toward Eddy's Brother, who lay on the ground. He was forcing his watery eyes open, watching the brawl nearby. "Use the gun!"

Edd pulled the pistol from his pocket in the practiced, skilled motion he had used for his makeshift weapon. His confidence melted, however, as he looked at the two struggling along the ground.

"I-I-I c-can't get a clear shot!"

"You better do something!"

Edd held the gun in front of him, looking down its sights. Ed and Helmy were in constant motion, each struggling for dominance over the other, writhing and rolling along the ground. Edd felt his arms tremble, and the sights of the pistol became harder and harder to line up.

"Snap out of it, Eddward," the boy muttered to himself. His eyes opened wider and wider, and he dared not blink as he tried to aim. One moment he'd have his sight on Helmy, the next Ed. Helmy. Ed. Helmy. Ed.

The ground where the two boys scrapped began to get smeared red. Helmy took every opportunity he could to cut Ed with his knife as they rolled along the ground.

"You'd better hurry!" Eddy's Brother called.

"I'm trying!" Edd screamed back. His heart pounded in his chest. One shot could end the whole fight. A gun was strong enough to take down that giant Starman. It could definitely incapacitate Helmy.

Or kill him.

"What are you waiting for?"

"I-I—"

"Just shoot him!"

Edd's mind filled with a flurry of thoughts. The fight in front of him seemed to faster and faster. More and more blood spilled with each waking moment of it. Edd could see his friend running out of strength. Dying. He readied the gun.

_BLAM!_

"OUCHIE!"

Edd's eyes snapped open. When did he even shut them? He looked in front of him. The struggle had stopped.

Ed lay on the ground. There was blood on his head.

"N-no." Edd dropped the gun. "E-Ed…no…" His legs failed him. Edd dropped to his knees.

Oh god. Ed. Not Ed. Not him too! No, no, no, no!

Edd let out a terrified scream, and everything went black.


	49. Good Friends, Bad Friends

**Chapter 49**

* * *

"Don't come any closer!"

A man's voice.

Heavy footsteps.

A scraping of metal along the ground.

_BLAM!_

A firm, fierce voice. "I said don't come any closer! I'll aim for your head next time!"

Silence.

Footsteps sounded and faded. A peculiar whirring-gargling noise filled the air, and then a low boom.

"What on earth? He—he's gone!"

Voices. Kevin's voice. Nazz's voice. The man's voice, someone Edd had never heard before. They conversed and questioned. Jimmy and Eddy's brother soon joined the discussion. Edd only heard mumbles and murmurs, no words. He lay on the ground, curled up in a tight ball. His hands were clasped around his head.

Ed was killed. Murdered. A shot to the head killed him. The gunman?

Eddward.

Edd tried to squeeze his arms tighter. His limbs ached. His eyes were clenched shut so tightly that he saw sparks and splotches of red from beneath his eyelids. He dared not relax a single muscle. He didn't deserve to after what he did.

"Double-D?"

Ed was gone. Dead. _Murdered._

"Double-D, I'm okay!"

That voice. Edd dared not open his eyes. He knew it wasn't true. He was hearing things. Lying to himself, in a pathetic attempt to alleviate his own guilt. He curled up tighter.

"Double-D, open your eyes!"

Ed was gone. Dead! Gone! Gone! Gone!

"Double-D!"

Edd's eyes snapped open. He gasped. Ed knelt before him, a look of pure, selfless concern on his face.

"E-Ed?" Edd clentched his eyes shut again. "No, no no! It's not real! This is just a nightmare, I—"

"Double-D!" The boy felt hands clasp around his shoulders and he was given a firm shake. He opened his eyes again, forced to look at his own delusion, the image of his victim. Ed's face was full of color, his eyes vibrant and worried, his ear—

A small, round hole lay in Ed's left ear, slightly singed around the skin.

"E-Ed?" Edd's voice was cracked and tiny.

"Looks like you just nicked him in the ear," a man said. "He bled a little, but he's fine now thanks to your friend."

"E-Ed, I…I—" Edd felt tears beginning to stream down his face. Was this a cruel illusion, or the truth? Edd no longer cared. He couldn't hold it in any longer.

"I'm so sorry!" He cried, long and loud, laying on his knees before his friend. He felt a pair of arms wrap around him, and he hugged Ed back.

"I'm so sorry," Edd repeated between sobs. "I th-thought I had killed you!"

"You wouldn't kill me, Double-D," Ed said softly. "You're too strong."

The two continued their embrace as Edd cried and sobbed. Those around them waited quietly and respectfully to stop.

Then Eddy's Brother spoke up.

"Okay, sob story's over," he said, folding his arms. "Quit your blubbering and man up. I hate people who feel sorry for themselves all the time." Kevin shot him a nasty glare, but Edd broke away from his friend, and stood up.

"No, he's quite right," he said. His eyes were red and puffy, but his expression turned to a happy one. "Everything turned out okay, anyway." He turned, and saw a man standing near Kevin and Nazz. He was very tall, with black hair plastered smooth against his head, and he wore a thick coat. The man held the gun loosely in his hands, and he put it gently down on the ground when he noticed Edd staring at it.

"I-I'm sorry," Edd stuttered. "I didn't mean to make a scene."

"That's quite understandable," the man replied. "The thought of having killed someone close to you would make any decent person break."

Edd suddenly perked. "Where did Helmy go?"

"…You mean the man in the helmet?" the man asked, "I shot him in the arm—Forgive me for taking your gun while you were…erm…" Edd shook his head, and signaled for him to continue. "I shot him in the arm, and he…disappeared, I think."

"He can teleport, apparently," Kevin stated.

"I'm sorry, I never got your name," Edd said, turning to the man.

"My name is Steven Reichson," he replied. "I ran into a few of your friends earlier today. Never seen you or the girl, though."

"Speaking of which," Kevin said, "Nazz, what on earth are you doing here?"

"I could be asking you the same thing," Nazz said. "What are you all doing out in middle of the Pacific—"

"Atlantic."

"—Atlantic Ocean?"

"Can't we go somewhere else to answer questions?" Jimmy groaned. He sat on the ground, his head drooping over his chest. Edd felt his legs straining to support him, and noticed that everyone else looked tired as well.

"You all should get your strength back before anything," Steven said. "Follow me. I know a good place for lunch."

**~ßßßßß~**

Steven showed the boys to a small restaurant a ways down the harbor. Ed, Edd, Kevin, Jimmy and Nazz found a table to sit at, while Eddy's Brother and Steven had to sit at another within listening distance.

"And so we took Double-D to the hospital here to get his leg all fixed up, and then Helmy comes outta nowhere, holding you hostage."

"Before that, however," Steven interjected, "Ed here started following around asking me if I was dead."

"S-sorry," Ed murmured.

"It's alright. Just not something that happens every day. I knew there was something strange about you kids, but seeing you fight with this 'PSI' is something else."

"Anyway, that's about it." Kevin sighed in relief. He had told his story to so many people so many times, and each time took longer than the last. However, telling it to Nazz, his closest friend next to Rolf, caused a warmth to well up inside him.

Kevin couldn't help but stare at her with an ounce of guilt, however. The person sitting across from him almost didn't seem like Nazz. Her normally well-groomed, golden hair was frayed and unruly. She wore an eyepatch, and had calluses and scars around her body. Despite that, her face remained the same. Her smile was warm and radiant, her eyes curious, and her expression one patience and a willingness to listen. Kevin couldn't help but smile himself whenever he looked at her.

His friends didn't seem to share his enthusiasm, however. Jimmy sat slouched over the table, his eyes glazed over in a vacant stare. Ed and Edd sat next to each other, both seeming to be lost in their thoughts. Eddy's Brother pretended not to be listening to their conversation, while Steven sat in the background, silent.

"Wow, you guys have been on as big an adventure as I have!" Nazz praised. "I always thought you'd never believe me if I told you all the things _I've_ been through."

"Yea, you gotta tell us what happened to you!" The others seemed to perk up at that thought. Ed and Edd snapped out of their thoughts, the latter blushing as soon as his eyes landed on Nazz. Jimmy lifted his head up, but his expression remained blank.

"If you're okay with doing that, of course," Edd added.

"Of course I am—oh, thanks." The waiter came, and placed everyone's food down in front of them.

"Um, before that," Ed said shyly, "c-can I ask who are you?" He looked over at Steven, who froze in the middle of slurping down a large bowl of soup. "You seem…like I know you before. Or not you, but something about you." He rubbed his head, looking for the right words.

"Well, as I said, my name is Steven Reichson," the man replied cordially. "I'm a pianist for the band, Phase Five. We're like the rock stars of this island." He smiled, his face rugged, and added, "We all used to be sailors, though. You grow up here on Mangosteen, you either become a sailor or work with them. Or play in a band for them."

"I would love to hear a song from you guys," Nazz chimed.

"Any time," Steven replied warmly. "If you guys can really teleport to any place you've been before, than going all the way out here for a show would be a snap!"

"I'd rather have a boat," Eddy's Brother grumbled.

"I can't help with that, I'm afraid." The man's expression sank. "I haven't been out on the sea for a while now. Just don't have the heart for it anymore, I guess."

"Well yea, sailing's boring as hell. I only got into the whole whaling gig 'cause it payed well."

"Anyway," Kevin said, "So what happened to you, Nazz?"

"Well, it all started after we all moved away from the cul-de-sac. On our way to Banana Bog, when this _giant_-"

"Don't care, sick of talking!" Eddy's Brother interrupted, much to everyone's disappointment. He got out of his seat, and said, "Now, do we even know just where the hell we're going next?"

The room suddenly became much dimmer.

"I…I don't really know," Kevin said. "This whole time, we've been chasing after this guy who knows what's going on, and finding these mirror pieces, but there's pretty much always been something that either forced us to go somewhere or led us or whatever. After we met Eddy's Brother at Carrot Rock, that was the last lead we had to go on."

"If there's no way to go forward, then we must go back," Edd mused. "Let's try retracing our steps."

"Ooh, can we stop and visit Sarah?" Ed asked. "I haven't seen her in a while."

"Sure. I guess it's better than just sitting here," Kevin said.

"You guys said she lives in Lemon Brook, right?" Nazz asked. When Kevin gave her an affirmative nod, she added, "I've wanted to back there for a while. It's actually a really nice place, their football team notwithstanding."

Kevin reeled back as if she had just grown a second head. "Uh, are we thinking of the same Lemon Brook? That place was kinda a dump when Ed and I were there."

"I know, but apparently the new mayor is really fixing things up!"

Ed and Kevin exchanged surprised glances.

"They got a new mayor?"

"That's what I've heard, anyway. Apparently, there wasn't any election or anything. The old mayor just walked out and appointed someone else."

Kevin paused. "…We need to go there. Now."

**~ßßßßß~**

"Woa!"

"Gah!"

"Eep!"

"Augh!"

"Huh?"

Kevin turned around, the rush of teleporting still fresh on his skin, and saw Nazz, Eddy's Brother, Jimmy, and Edd squashed together in a big pile behind Ed.

"Oops, sorry about that," Nazz moaned as she peeled herself away from the man in front of her. "Lost my balance."

"Happens to the best of us," Edd wheezed from between Jimmy and Ed.

When everyone had gotten back on their feet, Kevin led them down the street toward Sarah's house. He and Ed kept on their guard, but oddly enough, nothing came out to attack them on their way there. When they arrived, Kevin knocked on the door, and was surprised to see a man answer it instead of Sarah.

"Yes? What can I—" Sarah's father looked at the six people in front of him, and said flatly, "Ed, we're not having this many of your friends over."

"We just want to talk to Sarah for a bit," Kevin answered coldly. The man rolled his eyes, and turned around.

"She's out in the backyard." And he slammed the door shut.

"Dude, harsh," Eddy's Brother laughed. "I thought it was just my folks who're like that."

"Come on," Kevin said, wishing the man would shut up. He led the party around the side of the house to the backyard. Before any even saw Sarah, they suddenly felt the ground rumble from beneath them. It lasted for a second, and suddenly stopped.

The group rounded the house to see Sarah standing before a large boulder. They watched as she widened her stance and spread her arms out. Her hands began to glow with psionic energy, and with a loud "HAH!", she slammed them on the ground before her. The energy shook the area, and burst out of the ground in fissures that headed straight toward the rock. When the energy collided with it, the rock vibrated violently, and cracked into pieces.

"Woa!" Kevin shouted. Sarah snapped toward him in surprise, but her expression softened when she recognized Ed and Jimmy.

"Oh, hiya!" she said, with a hint of smugness in her voice.

"Oh great, even the twerp has freaky powers," Eddy's Brother spat.

"Yea, and I'm learning how to control them," Sarah replied sweetly. Her voice suddenly turned angry as she said, "Betcha I could blow you up right there without hitting anyone else."

"You wanna go, half-pint?" The man pulled his katana from its sheath enough for the blade to become visible.

"Woa, dudes, let's all calm down," Nazz said. "We're just visiting."

"Oh. If that's the case," Sarah said, relaxing her stance, "then you wanna play with me Jimmy? We haven't played together in—"

"I'm good," Jimmy said. His gaze was focused on the ground.

"O-oh." The girl's shoulders sank.

"Sarah, has anything changed around here since we last met?" Edd asked. "Nazz says that there's a new mayor in town."

"I dunno," Sarah said, "I've just been out here practicing the past few weeks."

It certainly showed, Edd thought. The backyard was covered in cracks and fissures. Behind it was a large hill, dotted with boulders and other large rocks. The ground was covered in marks and tracks hinting that there used to be several more, rolled down into position by a child gifted with Ed's massive strength and destroyed through a powerful PSI ability.

"We're gonna head to the mayor's office just to make sure," Kevin said. "Wanna come with?"

"I'm good." The girl cast a sullen look at Jimmy, who didn't seem to notice.

"We've got enough brats in our group as it is," Eddy's Brother complained. "Everyone's already mistaking me for some kind of stupid chaperone."

"Come on, guys," Ed said brightly, ignoring the man completely. "To the mayor's place! Again!"

The group made their way to the heart of Lemon Brook. Kevin looked around, recognizing many different sights and viewing them in an almost nostalgic light. It seemed like years since he and Ed last made their way through the streets, weak and confused—and constantly attacked by random people. Thinking of that, Kevin found it strange that their group still had yet to be targeted by anyone or anything. Instead of people turning blue, however, he noticed something just as odd. On nearly every corner, there was a strange-looking officer of some sort. Each one wore a peculiar yellow uniform and a thick mask that covered his or her face.

And each one looked directly at Kevin when he passed by.

"These creeps weren't here last time," Kevin whispered as they made their way down a long sidewalk. "We'd better keep our guard up."

"I dunno," Ed replied. "I don't think they're evil."

Up ahead, Edd noticed someone running down the sidewalk across the street. It was a woman, chasing after someone else, and her face was blue.

"Finally!" Kevin said, pulling his wrench out of his pocket. "I was wondering when someone would—"

Before he could even finish his sentence, two of the officers in yellow ran up and grabbed hold of the attacker. One of them gave the woman a quick slap to the face, and she turned back to normal. They gently let her go, and returned to their posts.

"…go crazy," Kevin finished.

"I told you, this town's gotten a lot better under this new mayor," Nazz said.

"All the more reason to find out who he is," Kevin said. "Or maybe _she_."

Everyone quickly made their way down to City Hall. After having Ed secure Kevin's bike (much to Eddy's Brother's astonishment), the six made their way inside the building.

"Can I help you?"

"We're here to say the mayor."

The man at the front desk raised a sleek, quizzical eyebrow as he looked up from his work and—

"AAIIIIEEEEEE! IT'S YOU AGAIN!" He jumped back, holding his hands in front of his fear-contorted face.

"We need to settle who gets to go down the slide first," Kevin mocked. "Are you gonna let us through?"

The man held his pose for a second, but forced his face into a snarl and quickly regained his composure.

"Heh, I think you're forgetting," he said venomously, "but you're not allowed in here anymore. The mayor kicked you out himself. In fact, oh _guaaards_-"

Kevin slammed his fist on the table, and the man yelped. "That was the _previous_ mayor, dork. There's a new one running this joint, is there not?"

"Th-that doesn't matter," he replied. "I'm still supposed to keep out the riffraff like you and your freaky friends here."

"Peh, maybe that's what you _used_ to think your job was," Eddy's Brother accused smugly, "but that little box of stuff on the floor there says you're hitting the unemployment offices later today."

The man's face turned a bright crimson, and Kevin felt an ounce of respect for Eddy's Brother. "I-I'm still not letting you guys pass! I'm still in charge of this desk until the moment I go out that door, and until then you're not meeting anyone." He folded his arms and looked away with a "Humph!", but the sound of various knuckles cracking made him turn from red to white.

"Until you're out the door, eh?" Kevin said ominously. Everyone behind him eyed the man with a devilish grin, reading their weapons of choice. The man could've sworn he saw lightning flash from behind them.

When his terrified and highly effeminate screaming finally faded into the distance outside, the group casually made their way upstairs and to the mayor's office.

The room seemed different from the last time Kevin had seen it; it was more humble somehow. The fake chandelier was replaced with a stylish ceiling light covering, the walls were repainted in a less garish shade of yellow, and the flag rested peacefully near the open window, enjoying the occasional breeze that wafted past it. It was as if the place regarded its own importance, but didn't pretend to be anything that it wasn't.

Kevin was also interested in how calm the office was. Instead of the litter of telephones that used to be on the mayor's desk, a single one lay there, silent. A high-backed chair sat behind it, facing away from the entrance.

"I figured you guys would come sooner or later," a young girl's voice said from behind the chair.

"Long time no see," Kevin said. The chair began to turn around, and he continued, "So, what did you do to the mayor, Tru—"

He cut himself off when he saw the person sitting in the chair. It was a little girl, no older than seven. Her skin was a light brown, and she was completely bald. She wore a modest dress, and looked at the boys with a confident face. Kevin was surprised to see not an ounce of makeup on her, nor any sort of wig covering her head. She seemed like a completely different person than what he had originally thought.

"Speechless, are ya?" she asked.

"Y-you…are you—"

"I guessed you wouldn't recognize me without all the makeup on." The girl stood up on the chair to bring her waist above the desk, and said, "I'll give you a hint. It's me, Laura Truckdresser."


	50. New Friends in Old Places

**Chapter 50**

* * *

"Now, I bet you're all wondering why I'm—"

"PK Fire!"

Laura Truckdresser dove to the floor from her chair as Jimmy blasted a jet of flame at it.

"Waitwaitwait!" She pleaded, her eyes open wide enough to be confused to with dinner plates. Jimmy jumped up on the desk and launched another fire attack at her. Kevin grabbed the boy's waist and wrestled him to the ground.

"What the heck are you doing?!"

"She's the evil girl you told us about!" Jimmy protested.

"Not anymore! Just listen!"

From under Kevin, Jimmy managed to launch another ball of fire at the girl. Nazz quickly jumped between them, holding in front of her a strange device. The flame hit the device square on, and disappeared instantly.

"Let's just all calm down, dudes," Nazz reassured sternly, taking advantage of the silence from everyone's astonishment. Seeing flames from the previous attacks beginning to spread on the chair and walls, she calmly asked, "Ed, could you use your PK Ice to put out the fires?"

"No problemo!" With a smile, Ed pointed his arms at the fire, and let out a thin burst of mist from his hands. The ice snuffed out the flames, but didn't freeze the material behind it.

"You're getting much better control," Edd praised, "compared to what happened last time, I hear."

"I've been practicing," Ed replied warmly.

Creeping from the floor to behind the desk, Truckdresser slowly got to her feet. "I'm not gonna hurt you guys again," she said cautiously, "promise." She crossed her heart with her fingers.

"What's a little freaky girl like you doing running a town as the mayor?" Eddy's Brother asked.

"Don't be rude, man," Nazz scolded.

"It's fine," Truckdresser said. "Between my looks and my powers, I guess I am sorta freaky. But I'm okay with it now." She gave a warm smile. "Anyways, after you two left me to go after your sister, I ran away. I was gonna get revenge on you, but I couldn't stop thinking about what you said."

She looked at Ed, who gave a confused face. "You said I looked ugly with makeup on, but I was okay without it. I thought you were crazy at first, but that night I washed everything off and realized that you were right. I did look better, without everything covering who I was—"

"That's a very touching story and all, but how does it explain you becoming the mayor?"

"I'm getting to that, string-beard!" The girl gave an angry face at the man, leaning forward in a pouty stance, but quickly righted herself. Eddy's Brother reeled a little, placing a curious hand over the few long strands of hair growing from his chin.

"Anyway," the girl continued, looking at Kevin, "then I thought about what you said, about doing good for the town. I went to the mayor, and was gonna tell him that I wanted to help him out." Her expression changed to a confused one, and she said, "But when I went to his office, he freaked out. He asked what I wanted, and I said 'I wanna help you out with your problems', and he said, 'No! No! Take what you want, you can be the mayor! Just don't hurt me!'" She impersonated his voice and mimicked frightened gestures. "And he gave me a bunch of papers and told everyone that I was the mayor now and he ran off. I don't even know where he went."

"Well, it serves him right," Kevin chuckled.

"So I started fixing things around here." She smiled a bit smugly. "I turned my Little Makeup Men into special policemen that'd help beat up people who turned blue, and got people to start fixing up old buildings and making the town itself better."

"It sounds like you're doing a better job as a mayor than a grown man," Edd mused. "Quite the disturbing thought in most contexts."

"Anyway, while you're all here visiting," Truckdresser said, "how can I help you guys out? You two really helped me with my problems, even if it really hurt and made me cry."

"How dare you make a little girl cry," Eddy's Brother mocked, flicking Kevin in the back of the head.

Kevin growled, but Truckdresser continued, "So I guess I owe you a favor."

"Well, since you're offering, we are a bit lost on where we should go next on our little adventure," Edd said. "I don't suppose you've got any idea on where the Blue Plague is coming from, do you?"

"Nope. Sorry."

After a bit of pondering, Nazz spoke up. "Do you know anything about a guy in a motorcycle helmet and gloves?"

Truckdresser's eyes widened. "A guy like that is the one who gave me my powers in the first place."

"That's right," Kevin said, "Helmy's the one who wanted Sarah kidnapped because she could use PSI." He turned toward the girl. "But the journal never mentioned anything about being able to give someone PSI directly. What exactly did he do to you?"

Truckdresser's expression grew serious. "It's not something I really wanna talk about."

"Do you think you could tell us, though?" Nazz asked. "We'll keep it secret for you."

"Well, it is my duty as mayor to help out everyone else in town," she said. "And like I said, I owe you two."

"That's very mature of you," Edd said.

"You should've seen her before," Kevin mumbled.

"I said I was sorry!" she flared. She quickly stopped herself, and cleared her throat. "Anyway, it happened a few weeks ago. I was in my room, playing with my dolls, when the man in the helmet came in through the window."

"That's extremely disturbing," Edd said.

"I was scared, and told him to go away, but he suddenly said to me 'you can get back at them'. I thought he meant all the boys who were picking on me because of…my looks…" she trailed off, but shook her head to get focused again. "Anyway, he said I'd be able to do whatever I wanted, if I did something for him. He handed me a picture of your sister and told me to capture her and bring her to the mineshaft near town.

"And then he gave me my PSI. I don't know how he did it, but he put his hands on my head, and there was a big _pop_ of energy. For a few seconds I think, my mind felt like it was no longer with the rest of me. I saw and heard and felt and heard and smelled things that I never did before, all swirling and rushing around me as I felt this weird sort of…_energy_ go into my mind.

"The next thing I knew, I could make lightning shoot from my fingertips and if I focused really really hard, I could take things like paint and makeup and turn them into cute little guys who'd do whatever I told them to." She took a breath. "And the next thing I knew, he up and disappeared. And you guys know the rest."

The room went silent as everyone let what she said soak in.

"When you say you saw and heard many things," Edd began, "can you remember anything specific?"

"I dunno," Truckdresser replied. "I just thought it was all random."

"If there's one thing I know about PSI, it's that nothing is random, really," Kevin said. "At least that's what this book about it that I've got says. Everything you saw and heard had to have come from somewhere."

"Well," she put a hand to her chin in thought. "When I think about it, I remember seeing a few things, but I don't really get what they are."

"Maybe you saw Helmy's thoughts," Ed speculated. "PSI lets you see and feel what other people do, like the Empathians from Geegg-6 in Attack of the Zombie Changling—"

"We understand, Ed," Edd interrupted. Eddy's Brother quietly mumbled something about having seen that movie, cocking an eyebrow and placing a thoughtful hand on his chin.

"Well, from what I can remember," Truckdresser said, "I saw bits and pieces of a dark cave, and sometimes I saw something shiny in my—or Helmet-Man's—hands. _Someone's_ hands."

"What did it look like? Can you remember its shape?"

"It was rough and jaggedy around the edges, I think. It looked like a broken mirror almost."

Cautiously, Kevin pulled out the mirror from his pocket. "Did it look like it'd fit on this thing?" he asked, showing the girl the incomplete wedge carved out of it.

"Yeah, exactly!" Her eyes suddenly widened, and she gasped. "Actually, now that I remember it, I think…I think I saw…"

"What did you see?" Kevin asked.

"I think I saw _you_."

"_Me_?! But why the heck—"

"I know this is all _sooo_ mysterious," Eddy's Brother said sourly, "but it's not getting us anywhere. According to you, we're supposed to be _finding_ pieces of this stupid thing, not showing them off to freaky little mayor girls."

Kevin turned around, and hissed, "Okay then, how do _you_ say we're supposed to find the rest of these things? We found them in Cherry Falls, Lemon Brook, Lime Lake, and most recently, all the way in a snowy wasteland near the top of the earth! These things could be all around the world for all we know!"

The man put on a blank face. "And yet you found all of those by pure dumb luck," he deadpanned. "On second thought, forget what I said. All we have to do is just wait for some contrived thing to happen to us and we'll be well on our way to finding the rest of this thing, and once we get all seven then maybe a giant dragon or something will come out and grant us a wi—"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Kevin fumed. "I don't know why I was able to find the mirror pieces, okay? I just sort of…came across them."

"How so?" Edd asked. "Eddy's Brother is right. The possibility of us coming upon all four places containing pieces of the same mirror by sheer chance alone is nigh nonexistent. There had to be a reason that we found these sanctuaries, and my first thought is that is has something to do with PSI."

"Well, now that I think about it," Kevin mused, "Every time I did come near a sanctuary, I felt something in my mind. It almost feels like music or something, and—at the glacier anyway—it seemed to pull me toward it."

"If you guys wanna find the other pieces of that fancy mirror there," Truckdresser said, "why don't you try using your PSI to look for it? I lose stuff around this office all the time, but if I focus really hard on what I wanna find, I can sorta feel it in a drawer or under my chair."

"Miss Truckdresser, you have to understand," Edd said, making the girl blush a little at the title, "we've found the pieces to this scattered around not only the country, but even halfway across the world. I'm not one to underestimate the scope of what PSI can do after seeing what my friends are capable of, but it doesn't seem likely that one would be able to scour the entire Earth for things a tiny percentage of a fraction of its surface area, not taking into account the possibility of extensive cave systems or—"

"We get it, Spock," Eddy's Brother spat.

"Wait a sec," Nazz spoke up. "Kevin, when you were in that Pomegranate Pool place, and that guy asked you about the mirror, didn't you say you could see each of the sanctuaries that you found the pieces in?"

"You mean with Ad—" Kevin cut himself off. He had decided not to tell Nazz about Adam for the time being, and had excluded his name in the story. "Oh yeah, that's right! In the mirror at that place, I could see each of the sanctuaries behind me where the pieces used to be. But what does that have to do with anything?"

"Well, that probably means that the mirror pieces are connected with the sanctuaries," Nazz said. "And since they're supposed to connect with each other, do you think that the sanctuaries could also be connected?"

Kevin gasped. "You might be right! Why didn't we think of it before?"

"It would be just like in a video game!" Ed exclaimed. "Each piece of the mirror points us in the direction of the next!"

"But since we weren't actually looking for them," Kevin said, "we never actually tried to see where they lead to!"

"Okay, now I'm lost," Truckdresser said.

Kevin smiled, and said, "I'll explain on the way. For now, let's go to the sanctuary that Ed and me found."

**~ßßßßß~**

Four children sat on the smooth, glassy black surface of the Obsidian Oasis, their eyes closed and their hands held in a ring. Edd, Nazz and Eddy's Brother spectated from a short distance away, the first two with great anticipation and the third trying not to show it. The dark obsidian all around them coupled with the glowing flora gave the place a warm but dim glow, and tiny particles floated around the air and glistened with light.

"So how is this gonna work?" Truckdresser asked. She sat between Ed and Jimmy, facing opposite of Kevin.

"Well, if Nazz is right, then these sanctuaries should all be connected," Kevin said. "If we focus hard enough, we should be able to follow that connection to all the ones we haven't found yet."

"Less talking more mystic-ing," Eddy's Brother scoffed. Kevin turned around to sneer at him, but before he could say anything Nazz stepped in between the two and he felt Ed tug at his hand.

He turned back around, and wordlessly instructed everyone to close their eyes and focus. Kevin mentally grabbed hold of his reserve of psychic energy, and tried to expand it as Ed had described. Feeling a similar sensation as when he would use PSI Magnet, his extra sense expanded to encompass a vast, blank void around him. He could immediately feel Jimmy, Ed and Truckdresser in front of him, their energies burning like stars while the other three further back emitted a less-psychically-bright aura.

Slowly, cautiously, the four glowing stars of energy spread out along the thin lines of their connected hands and melded with one another. In almost an instant, the void expanded drastically, travelling for what Kevin felt to be miles in every direction. However, outside of a certain area—the cave that contained the sanctuary, he figured—everything grew much dimmer and vague.

As one, the four children focused on the cave itself, which reacted to their presence and grew brighter as a result. Suddenly, their perception shot downward into the ground, and the void expanded at an alarming rate. Kevin nearly opened his eyes in shock. He felt what turned out to be the sensation of the entire Earth revealing itself to him, Ed, Jimmy and Truckdresser. He felt mountains rise and fall, whole continents make their shape known as vast oceans separated them. Everything was punctuated and lit up by tiny specks of light that covered the entire globe.

It was overwhelming, and all four children could feel it. They collectively struggled to perceive the whole of the Earth and its inhabitants at once, every nuance and piece of geography etching itself in their minds faster than they could process. Kevin gasped. His head felt like it would burst from so much being crammed into it so quickly, but Jimmy was the first to open his eyes in shock and break away from the others. The void began to collapse around them, and everyone else quickly broke away and opened their eyes as well.

"What happened?" Nazz asked. "Did you guys see anything?"

"We…we saw _everything_," Truckdresser panted.

"Too much," Ed whined, pressing his hands against his head. "Too much at once."

"Hey Double-D," Kevin said, "you know a lot about geography and that kinda stuff, right?"

"Well, I did win the annual geography bee a few times," Edd said, trying to keep boastfulness out of his voice. "Why do you ask?"

"Come join us. I have an idea."

Curious, but obedient, Edd stepped forward and joined in the seance. Holding hands between Kevin and Ed, he simply closed his eyes and waited while the others tried to concentrate again.

This time Edd could feel the void for himself. It was startling and fascinating at the same time, feeling all around him with a sense he had never known he had. He could feel the energy flowing through his arms, not through his nervous system, but with an extra sense altogether that nearly made him want to break away with how alien it felt. He steeled himself, however, and watched as the void began to expand and encompass the Earth.

Edd could feel the others struggling to concentrate as the enormity of the sensation flooded their minds. He himself felt a strain to try and visualize everything at once, but he suddenly sparked an idea. Thinking hard, he managed to wriggle around the space, carefully separating his mind from the others. To his delight, with a mental twitch, he found that he could form a line of sorts on the planet's surface. Taking deep breaths, he carefully extended the line all around the earth. The feeling was uncomfortable as it was unfamiliar, but Edd managed to worm the line little by little until it connected with itself. With a great mental push, he divided his mind from the others between the lines, and the void suddenly split.

A wash of relief and excitement fell over everyone. Edd could sense only half of the Earth now, while he theorized the others had the other.

"We just need to cordon it into manageable pieces," he said. "Then we can focus on individual areas."

"Do you have any idea what they're talking about?" Eddy's Brother asked Nazz.

"Not a clue. I've encountered psychic powers before and have some stuff that fights against it, but I dunno much about it really."

Gaining more flexibility with his newfound sense, Edd struggled to reconjoin the two halves of the Earth. While the others immediately strained, Edd calmly drew more lines. He had seen enough atlases and globes to project latitude and longitude lines on the Earth, and immediately separated each section from one another. Everyone else went back to relief as they each picked a different section to percieve.

"What would we do without you?" Kevin praised with closed eyes.

Edd smiled, but gasped as the lapse in concentration nearly made him break away from the Earth-projection.

"So what are we looking for here?" Truckdresser asked.

"A sanctuary," Kevin replied. "Use this one as a reference, and look for anything that feels just like it."

Kevin focused again on his chunk of Earth, containing all the areas closest to them. He could feel the warm, powerful light of the sanctuary they were at, and looked for anything similar. He found it, a similar sensation a ways away. It must be the first sanctuary he found, he thought, at Cherry Falls. A short distance away, however, he felt the exact opposite. He gasped as a sudden darkness pulled at his mind. He felt the void shrink until it was just large enough to contain his mind and the darkness, which threatened to rip it from his body as he physically felt his legs become numb. Terrified, Kevin opened his eyes and immediately broke from the trance.

The others felt their sections of the world suddenly grow much dimmer as they heard Kevin gasp.

"Are you alright?" Edd asked, trying hard to keep concentrated.

"Yeah, I think so," Kevin said. "Just don't try and search around where we are. There's some kind of…_darkness_ nearby that nearly sucked me in."

"Where was it? Could you tell?"

"No, but it was close by."

"We'll make sure to look out for any more there may be."

Kevin closed his eyes again, his heart still racing. He boldly jumped back into the trance, the sensation becoming easier to achieve with practice. He and the four others scanned the Earth, sensing sections of hundreds of miles for any of the bright lights that matched that of a sanctuary. Truckdresser gave a few false alarms, but when Edd checked the geography of the area, he pointed out that she had found the sanctuaries at Lime Lake and the Northern Glaciers.

At last, Ed gasped. "I think I found one!" he said.

"It's about freaking time," he heard Eddy's Brother call from a distance. He also heard a small "Oof" as Nazz elbowed him in the stomach.

Edd felt around different parts of the Earth until he sensed Ed's presence. Somehow, the boy directed Edd's mind toward a certain spot, where there was indeed a sanctuary.

"Can you tell where it is?"

Edd focused hard. Ignoring the light of the sanctuary, he tried his hardest to pick out details of the geography. He found mountains and hills to be sparse, the area around the sanctuary being largely flat. He scanned the area around it, trying to "see" it as if it were a map. One striking feature was a small range of mountains that formed a semicircle, with a circular plateau inside that dropped off to a large valley below. Suddenly, the image clicked, and Edd recognized the place.

The boy broke out of the trance with a look of glee on his face.

"I know where the next sanctuary is!"

Everyone leaned toward the boy in anticipation. Standing up off of the hard ground, Edd announced, "I think we should pay Rolf another visit. I've been curious about the Divine Wind he mentioned, and now I think I know where it comes from."


	51. Group Dynamics

**Chapter 51**

* * *

"Rolf, let me just say that you're awesome."

"How awesome would I be if I socked _you_ right in the face?"

Eddy's Brother cradled a swollen eye in one hand while balling the other up in a threatening fist. He and the others made their way up one of the large mountains bordering the Old Country Village, with Rolf leading the way.

"Once again, Rolf apologizes. He did not know the brother of the late Eddy would be around his friends without hostile intentions," Rolf said, rubbing an arm in embarrassment. Kevin simply smiled, relishing the memory of seeing the lanky boy punch Eddy's Brother through the air the moment they made eye contact just a few minutes ago.

"Dude, the six of us just teleported from _halfway around the friggen world_ to get to this dump. You honestly thought I'd've come here just to beat you all up?"

"Yes," Rolf spat, turning away from the man. "Anyway, let us get back to the matter on hand." He turned toward Kevin and the others behind him. "You believe that one of your mirror-producing sanctuary places resides near Rolf's homeland, yes?"

"I'm positive," Edd asserted. "It would make sense from both a scientific and a philosophical point of view, even. After doing some research, I've found that Lemon Brook, Cherry Falls and Lime Lake all have strange qualities in their ecosystems. Lemon Brook has a multitude of cliffs with unnaturally high amounts of minerals and ore embedded in the rock. Cherry Falls has the cleanest natural freshwater in the continent, and Lime Lake's titular body of water contains an incredibly diverse population of both freshwater and saltwater aquatic life. Not only that, but all the towns share much fertile soil, used to plant trees bearing their respective namesakes. I hypothesize that all of this is due to the power of the sanctuaries, as it were, and it would only be natural that towns be built around such places.

"Therefore, I can conclude that the Old Country Village shares a similar trait."

The group neared the top of the mountain, and Rolf spoke up. "And this is why you asked to see where the Divine Wind originates, yes? You believe it to be a sanctuary where you can find another piece of that mirror?" His voice sounded skeptical, and he squinted at the others.

"It's the only lead we have," Kevin said, wearing a somewhat worried look on his face.

Rolf stopped, as if pausing to consider something, before piping a cheerful, "Okey dokey!"

The group finally reached the top of the mountain, and looked at a sunbathed field of grass beyond. While the mountain was tall and steep from the side facing the village, it sloped gently down toward the plains on the other side, and didn't drop nearly as far. In the horizon, the grass sloped back up to form a rounded cone, with something too far away to see clearly resting at the very top. Nazz looked out at it in awe and Eddy's Brother let out a disinterested grunt, but Kevin and the others gave confused looks.

"Rolf, isn't this the plains where we met up with your caravan at first?" Kevin asked.

"Of course not, Kevin!" Rolf replied, hiking down the slope while the others followed. "These plains are much higher up, and in the middle lies the source of the Divine Wind. We are on a, um, how do you say, table of earth…"

"Plateau?" Edd guessed.

"What the smart Ed-boy said! Anyway, don't be fooled by the similar scenery, Kevin. We are in a very different place."

The rock and soil beneath their feet turned to grass as they walked, and a myriad of creatures came into view in front of them. More strange Little UFOs, bigger and bulkier than the ones before, zipped around the plains. Gigantic worms slithered through the grass, and strange birds of all sorts of different shapes soared through the air, casting menacing looks at the seven people invading their territory.

"A _very_ different place."

Eddy's Brother flashed a grin, forgetting about his black eye and quickly unsheathing his katana. He stepped to the front of the group, along with Nazz and Jimmy. Nazz sucked in a breath of air and assumed a combat stance, scanning the area with her good eye to find every threat. Jimmy looked around also, his face blank but his eyes wild with anticipation and excitement.

"Be careful, Nazz." Kevin warned. "These things are dangerous, and you don't have a weapon."

To Kevin's surprise, Nazz simply giggled, and charged forward at a nearby Little UFO. Everyone watched in awe as she leaped high into the air and delivered a powerful kick to it from above, denting the machine and forcing it to crash into the ground. She jumped back toward Kevin, and grinned at him.

"What was that, Kev?" she teased.

"Wh—how—where did you learn to do that?"

"Dude, I've had to fight creeps like this ever since we all left Peach Creek." She pointed with her thumb at her eyepatch. "Whatever's causing everything to turn evil like this, it's happening _everywhere,_" she explained. "As for fighting, I'm a black belt in karate." When Kevin let his jaw hang down, she giggled, "I'm a certified babysitter, dude. We gotta know this stuff."

Kevin simply stood with his mouth open while everyone else rushed into battle around him.

"PK Thunder Beta!" Jimmy felt the beautiful, wonderful surge of energy flow through his body as it manifested itself into pure lightning to strike down his foes. He ran and jumped and danced around, the Voice channeling his PSI to let him cast powerful spells with but the slightest hint of drain on his mental energy.

Once again, he found himself separating from reality, his surroundings turning to black as everything unimportant to the battle began to fade. The only things that mattered—the only things that _existed_ were himself and his targets. Fire, ice, and lightning lit up the dark void around him as they obliterated his opponents. Blows to himself went unnoticed, pain being something from a faraway and unimportant memory.

He spotted a worm, and rushed toward it. He felt himself duck and weave automatically as Little UFOs shot at him from nearby. He shot a blast of fire at the worm, knocking it off the ground. Jimmy brandished his golf driver and charged it with electricity, ready to finish off the target in one powerful blow. Before he could reach it, however, a sword suddenly sliced through the worm's body, and Jimmy felt its life drain away in a puff of smoke. He gagged as an angry scream tried to force its way out of his mouth too quickly, and looked furiously around for another target.

Someone had stolen his kill.

Eddy's Brother was enjoying himself, feeling immense satisfaction when his blade got a clean cut through his target. The occasional hit he received—be it from getting whipped by one of the worm-monster's tails or zapped by one of the Not-So-Little UFOs—were minor annoyances at best. He was used to getting into fights, and pain only served to make him fight harder and fiercer. Not to mention that now he had two twerps around to close his more grievous injuries.

Nazz enjoyed being around Kevin and the others more than anything else. Taking down the first UFO took more out of her than she'd expected, so she silently resolved to keep to helping others fight as they made their way up the sloped plains. Her eye patch made it harder to judge depth, so having someone she could use to compare their size with an enemy's helped in that regard. It was nice having help for once; until she met with the others, she'd been largely on her own, save for that strange, white-haired man she'd met earlier, but they parted ways quickly.

While she loved the looks of awe the boys gave her when she showed off her karate skills, it was when the creatures began to use PSI that she started having fun. The UFOs could generate shields, on themselves as well as others, and they began to work together in an attempt to defeat the children. However, Nazz was a good shot with her Shield Snatcher, and quickly ripped the barriers off of her opponents just before Kevin or Edd struck it.

She also got to show the others her PSI Neutralizer. When one of the worm monsters cast PK Freeze toward Ed, she dove in front of it and let the small device on her wrist absorb it. It wasn't as powerful as one of Jimmy's PSI Shields, and couldn't absorb too much at one time, but careful choosing let her save her friends from the more dangerous attacks.

"Where did you get this stuff?" Kevin asked, his attention switching from Nazz to a UFO zipping around him.

"I know a guy!" Nazz explained simply.

The plains began to slope noticeably steeper, and the structure at the top of the massive hill grew closer as the children fought their way up it.

Looking around for someone to help, Nazz saw Eddy's Brother get knocked to the ground a few yards away by a strange, vaguely humanoid creature made of stone. The man struggled to get up, but winced as his bleeding leg gave way from under him. Nazz leapt into action, pulling out of her pocket her Slime Generator. It looked like a clothing iron, with high-tech bits and bobbles built into it. Ignoring the confused looks the others gave the device, she aimed it at the stone monster and pulled the trigger. A green sludge came blasting out and engulfed the creature. The monster writhed and struggled in the goop, but it was effectively glued to the ground and couldn't get any closer.

Nazz grabbed Ed and the two ran toward Eddy's Brother. "You okay?" she asked the man as Ed healed his leg.

"I didn't need your help, ya know," Eddy's Brother spat angrily at her.

The goop began to dissolve from around the stone monster, but Jimmy quickly blasted it into oblivion with a strong PK Fire.

"Uh, you kinda did," Nazz retorted sternly. She held out her hand to help him up, but he smacked it away and got off the ground himself. The girl simply held her hand, giving the man a sad look as he stormed up the hill.

"Don't think too much of it," Kevin said, walking next to Nazz. "He's just a dork."

"Still…" she breathed. She eventually shook it off, and followed the others up the now-quite-steep hill. Towering above them at the very top was what looked to be a mountain, comprised of gigantic boulders piled on top of one another. They seemed to fit together very loosely, creating dozens of holes and caves that lead inside. From their point on the hill, the group could only see the top of the mountain over the grass. The wind was very strong, making it hard to scale the hill but also keeping everyone cool in the midday sun above.

Rolf grew more and more excited as they came closer to the mountain, and the number of creatures attacking them began to dwindle. When there were no more creatures close enough to be bothered by their presence, everyone decided to sit down on the hill for a rest. Wind blew past them from the top of the mountain in powerful gusts, and it caused the grass to ripple down into the rest of the valley below. In the far distance, they could see the small peaks that formed one of the mountains surrounding Rolf's village, and near those they could see hints of dark green signifying the Forbidden Valley below.

"Rolf has never been to the Sacred Mountain of the Divine Wind," Rolf said, looking at the boulder mountain just a few dozen feet ahead of them, "but he has been told many stories of its beauty and serenity."

"I bet it blows," Eddy's Brother scoffed. A gust of wind rushed past, and he chuckled at the pun.

"Yes, well…" The boy turned to Kevin, and whispered, "Why in the name of Nana's bootstraps did you bring along this harbinger of anger and the scent of whale blubber again?"

"Ask Double-D. I'm still figuring it out myself," Kevin replied quietly.

"I can hear you guys!" Eddy's Brother called out. "I'm only coming along to get the rest of that cash I was promised. And I've still got some unfinished business with those precious chickens of yours." He gave an intimidating smile to Rolf, who turned and looked the other way with a sour look to cover his fear.

Nazz sat next to Jimmy, and noticed him fidgeting and twitching as he tried to lay still on the grass.

"Jimmy, are you okay, dude?" she asked.

"Fine," the boy mumbled. He stared blankly at the sky, watching a sheet of white clouds slowly make their way toward the sun. Nazz looked at his eyes, and saw that they were almost glazed over.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

Nazz turned to the other side toward Ed. From Kevin's story as well as from her own short time with him, she could tell that he cared about others deeply, and could sense when something was wrong with someone.

"Maybe he's bored," the boy said calmly before Nazz could even ask.

Scooting closer to him, she whispered, "Are you sure? Can't you, like, read his mind or something?"

"Not if he doesn't let me," Ed explained. "I don't wanna invade someone's mind if they really don't want me to. It's not right."

Nazz sighed. "I know something's wrong. He's been acting really strange lately."

She looked back at Jimmy, who got to his feet. "Let's get going," he said blankly, making his way up the hill. Kevin and Eddy's Brother grumbled about their break being cut short, but they followed him as Rolf ran ahead.

"Be careful, Rolf!" Kevin called. "There's usually something big that guards these things!"

"We're gonna have to fight the boss!" Ed added.

"Whatever foul creature that dares disturb the sanctity of the Sacred Mountain shall be grievously punished!" Nearing the top of the hill, Rolf began to roar, "BRING IT O—"

At the top of the hill, the boy froze. When Kevin and the others caught up to him, they saw his face turn a powdery white.

"Rolf?" Kevin asked.

"N-n-no." The boy started to shake, his eyes fixated ahead of him. "I-It c-c-can't b-be!"

Everyone turned to what he was staring at. At the base of the Sacred Mountain was a giant man, no less than thirty feet high. He didn't seem to notice the kids, as he was bent over with a muscular arm reaching into one of the mountain's many caves. He wore tattered overalls and impossibly huge wooden clogs, and his head was that of a black wolf.

"Th-the Wolf," Rolf whispered. He froze in fear, memories of the terrifying man-but-not-a-man flooding through him. The unnatural way he howled like a wolf but in a man's voice, the thunderous pounding of his clogs that echoed through the night, even though he was but the size of a normal man before now, and that damned wolf's head he wore over his own—if he even had a head of his own under that thing. Rolf remembered all those poor sheep the Wolf stole from his family, as well as the family of others. He could remember every one of their names, and a ping of sadness mixed with his terror and rage.

The Wolf that stood before them was unmistakably the same abomination, but more monstrous than Rolf had ever remembered. His limbs were vastly out of proportion than that of a normal man's; his legs were short and his bulky arms could hang down to his knees if he stood up straight. His skin, what little of it was visible under a mass of body hair that would make Rolf's Nana look shaved by comparison, was tinted blue, and a disgusting air wafted around him.

Kevin stood next to Rolf, placing a hand on his shoulder while silently motioning for the others to surround the Wolf for a sneak attack. The beast man didn't notice them as he continued his frustrated rummaging through the mountain, stamping his feet as he failed to grab whatever was inside.

"Are you okay, Rolf?" Kevin whispered to his friend.

"Th-this…" Rolf began to shake. His head tilted downward and he clutched his fish-weapon tightly. "This cannot be forgiven. First the continued pillaging of Rolf's family, and now desecration of a sacred place." He lifted his head, the fear in his eyes suddenly replaced with rage, and screamed, "_You_ cannot be forgiven!"

Rolf jumped high into the air as the Wolf turned around, and tackled the giant to the ground with his fish.

"Dude," Kevin babbled in awe as Rolf began savagely beating the giant man in the face. Remembering that he could actually help, he shouted, "Everyone, attack!" and charged forward.

The Wolf grabbed Rolf and slammed him into the ground, only to be hit by several different attacks at once. A cooking pot slammed into his head, lightning struck him from above and fire burnt him from below, a sword cut into his side and he was hit on either leg by a large wrench and a powerful kick. The Wolf howled in anger and jumped back. As everyone began to charge him again, he sucked in a large gulp of air and roared.

To everyone's surprise, not only did the foul stench of his breath come out of the wolf-head's maw as he howled, but black gobs of fur began spewing toward the ground. As soon as they hit the grass, each gob writhed around. Covered in slime, they each morphed into the shape of an actual wolf. In the moment it took for everyone to realize what they just saw, a dozen black, slime-covered wolves sprang toward them and attacked.

The top of the hill turned into the battleground for a giant brawl. Everyone found themselves fighting off a slimy wolf or two while the giant Wolf jumped around, trying to hit whomever he thought seemed the most distracted.

Nazz twisted and turned frantically, her focus split between defending herself against two foes and trying to see where everyone else was. She could handle herself, she thought, but she didn't feel right unless she was helping someone else. Everyone was divided in the brawl, save for Kevin. He rode around on his bike, helping pick off wolves the others had weakened and providing Lifeup, Offense Up and Defense Up to help things along.

Suddenly, Nazz saw Jimmy out of the corner of her eye. He sprinted toward the Wolf, freezing any enemies that tried to stop him. He blasted powerful jets of fire at the giant. The Wolf turned, and punched at the boy. Jimmy dodged, but his focus was kept on keeping his attacks strong.

Finishing off her last wolf with a strong kick, Nazz rushed toward Jimmy. The boy looked wild, with his hair frizzled and his eyes wide open. He took a step back and gathered electricity in his hands, letting stray bolts zip around his body. As he charged up, the Wolf raised a gargantuan foot and prepared to stomp down on the boy. Jimmy didn't seem to notice, as his attention was fixated on the gathering power in his hands.

"Jimmy, look out!" Nazz called. He didn't react.

Running as fast as she could, Nazz dove into Jimmy and pushed him out of the way just before the Wolf stomped. Her body instantly locked up as electricity coursed through her, but she managed to keep conscious as she fell to the ground next to the monster's gargantuan clog.

"What are you doing?!" Jimmy screamed, his face furious as he jumped from the ground. Nazz lay on the grass, still unable to move, while the boy ran around to attack the Wolf from a different angle without another word.

The Wolf noticed the girl on the ground, but so did Ed. The giant prepared to stomp on her, hitting Jimmy aside and giving a loud howl. He lifted his foot over Nazz, and let it drop.

"PSI Tradeoff!"

Nazz heard Ed's voice just before the wooden clog slammed down on top of her. The electricity faded quickly enough for her to clench her eye shut and brace for the pain. To her surprise, it never came. She opened her eye to see darkness. She was smashed into the ground, but her body didn't feel any sort of pain nor pressure. The Wolf lifted his foot up, and she immediately scrambled away without so much as a scratch on her.

"Oh my goodness, Ed!" Nazz turned to see Ed lying in a small crater in the ground, as if the Wolf had stepped on him instead of her. She and Edd ran up to him, but to their surprise they heard him chuckling weakly in the ground.

"Mt Mwwks!" he mumbled in the dirt. Edd and Nazz pulled him out of the ground, and he repeated, "It works guys!"

"What works?" Edd asked.

"A tradeoff spell! I can take somebody else's attacks for them," he explained. He grunted as a sharp pain went up his body, but he quickly got to work healing it.

"W-well, don't use it too much," Nazz stuttered. "I wanna protect you guys, and not have it be the other way around."

After finishing off the last of the slime wolves, Kevin rode next to the others and dismounted his bike. "I think it's time we finished this." Stepping forward, he shouted, "PK Riding Beta!"

Everyone watched in awe as multicolored energy shot from the boy. Like the last time, it formed a tessellation of two-dimensional planes of light that launched themselves at the Wolf. The giant howled in pain as the planes wrapped themselves around him, pounding him with an invisible force, and when the colors disappeared he dropped to his knees.

"You steal from our families and strike terror into the hearts of my people," Rolf said, walking toward the Wolf with his weapon in hand. "Your crimes have gone unpunished, and your deeds have become more foul." Breaking into a sprint, he cried, "YOU SHALL FACE DIVINE PUNISHM—"

"PK Freeze Gamma!"

Rolf stopped as the Wolf was suddenly enveloped in a thick wall of ice. Jimmy ran toward the giant, screaming with his golf driver in hand. He smashed the club into the ice, causing gigantic cracks to form all around it. The ice around the Wolf shattered, and the Wolf himself disappeared in a cloud of colored smoke. When it cleared, a smaller, man-sized Wolf lay on the grass, panting heavily and barely conscious.

Jimmy jumped on him, and began beating the Wolf with his driver.

"D-dude!" Kevin leapt forward and grabbed the boy, pulling him away from the bleeding man. "He's down! Give it a rest!"

"Don't touch me!" Jimmy hissed, breaking from Kevin's grip and jumping back. He brandished his golf driver menacingly in one hand and engulfed the other in flame.

_They're afraid of you,_ the Voice said.

"Dude," Kevin said, taking a step back, "just calm down and put out the Man Candle hands, okay? The fight's over. Relax."

_They don't want you to use our power to its fullest._

Jimmy felt a powerful rage building up inside him. His vision began to blur, and everyone's faces began to fade.

"I've noticed your increased gusto in fighting recently," Edd stated. "It can't possibly be healthy. Maybe we should drop you off at your parents house so you can cool off, lest you develop a taste for schadenfreude."

_They want to get rid of you!_

He clenched his fists tighter. The land around them began to fade to blackness.

"Jimmy," Nazz said imploringly, "please calm down. If something's wrong, you can tell us!"

"Y-y—" The boy snapped his head up from the ground, and opened his eyes wide in fury. "YOU'RE WHAT'S WRONG!"

Leaping toward Kevin and the others, Jimmy attacked.


	52. Darkness of the Mind

**Chapter 52**

* * *

"Nazz, move!"

Nazz registered Kevin's voice just in time to jump to the side. A geyser of fire shot past where she was just a moment before and rose into the air behind her.

"What the hell, dude?" Eddy's Brother asked, brandishing his sword. Jimmy glared at him. His eyes were glazed over in anger. His body shimmered and his hair waved around as an intense energy built up around him. Eddy's Brother ran toward the boy, sword in hand.

"Don't hurt him!" Edd screamed.

"Don't get your sock in a knot," the man called back. "I'll just beat some sense into—"

A wall of ice slammed into Eddy's Brother, knocking him back and sending him rolling down the hill.

"I hate to agree with him of all people," Kevin said, "but maybe we do need to beat some sense into Jimmy, or at least knock him out. Maybe the Blue Plague's gotten to him, like it did with me at the glacier!"

Worn from the previous fight and disheartened by their new opponent, everyone drew their weapons and prepared for battle.

**~ßßßßß~**

Jimmy felt power swirling around him as he used it to cast strong spells at his targets. The Voice moved his body for him, making him dodge attacks and deliver blows of his own. Those horrible, rotten traitors wouldn't stay still as they tried to hit him with pathetically weak attacks.

The hilltop they were on no longer existed, nor did the mountain of boulders or even the sky. There was only Jimmy in a void of blackness and his opponents, his vague, blurry, faceless opponents. Nothing else mattered. Even coherent thought was but a memory as he focused purely on his powers, his body moving on its own as he dodged or ignored whatever oddly-weak blows that made it through his psychic shield.

Occasionally, he would hear strange sounds, like those he made from his mouth when he got hurt or prepared for a powerful attack. Voices, like the one in his head. Only these were not as clear, and they came from the outside. Like the faces of his targets, they were blurry, and blended with one another. Jimmy tried to ignore them, but no matter how hard he tried, occasionally a voice would sound different. He couldn't tell who was talking or what they were saying, but some tiny, pleading part of his mind recognized it, and it occasionally forced him to stumble in a lapse of concentration.

He gained the upper hand when he managed to land a hit on the blonde one. He smacked the opponent with his weapon when it came too close, causing it to sail through the air a ways until it hit the ground. It didn't get back up, and two others foolishly stopped fighting to scramble near it. One of them—the tall one with the useless sword—suddenly charged and smacked the blunt end of his weapon into Jimmy's torso. It hit much harder than any other attack that had landed on him before, but he quickly shrugged it off and forced his opponent away with a powerful burst of energy.

Turning back to the fallen target and the two others standing over it, Jimmy fired a stream of lightning at them. To his surprise, one of them idiotically dashed in front of it. The lighting hit the target dead on. However, the electricity immediately gathered to a spot on the opponent's head. In an instant, it launched back at Jimmy, only to disappear in his shield. Jimmy grew even more furious.

The one who had reflected his attack turned to the others. It said more mumbling words, and began to run away. Jimmy gave chase. Running quickly became pointless, so he propelled himself forward with jets of flame from his hands. He got closer and closer to the coward, but to his surprise, it suddenly vanished with a low boom. Jimmy looked around frantically, but he could no longer sense his target. It had vanished from the area altogether.

Feeling a slight drain from the chase, he rolled on the grass downhill and slowed down. Jimmy had almost forgotten what grass felt like. It was long and cool, but somewhat itchy against his exposed skin.

Wait, why was he contemplating it? He had a battle to win. As he got up, he once again heard the faint chirp in his mind. He felt as though he was on the verge of remembering something, but it was just out of reach. He tried to ignore it, to make it go away, but it was incessant, infuriatingly persistent. It didn't cross the threshold of being unbearable, but it teetered on the line.

It would've driven Jimmy mad if it wasn't begging him to realize that he already was.

Luckily for Jimmy, he soon got back to the fight. The adrenaline of hitting his targets with full power helped to blot out everything else, and soon even the mumbled, pleading voices of his prey no longer slowed him down. Time passed—the only way Jimmy recognized that it had was because his targets were wearing down, getting back up less quickly and slowing down in their movements—until he heard a second low boom. He turned, sensing his new opponents before seeing them. The one who'd escaped earlier was back, and there was someone else with it. Jimmy let a surge of power and rage flow around him. He wasn't just going to decimate the coward and the red-haired girl, he was going to drag it out and let them suffer—

"Jimmy?"

Everything froze. Jimmy's body stood still. Time crept to a halt. That voice. What is that voice?

_That is none of my concern._

But it is _mine_. Jimmy wormed his way through the tiny speck in his mind. Waves of terror formed around him as he felt his senses coming back, the horrors of what he was doing filling him with dread. His consciousness bled around him, tearing through a thick fog that concealed the truth. It was terrifying. Horrible. What have I done?

_Don't struggle. Let the power ease you of such feelings._

Never! Jimmy clung fiercely to his fear. It was horrible, but he knew it was the only piece of humanity he had. He struggled and fought to stay conscious, to stay more than just the pleading voice that went unheard. Unheard. He had _heard_ her. He knew that voice. He'd always known her voice!

_That's not important!_

It is! That girl—she's calling my name!

_I'll kill her! I'll kill all of them!_

No!

"No you won't!"

Jimmy thrust himself forward. His mind was clear, clearer than he'd ever felt before. Every thought, every emotion rushing through his head was his own, growing more powerful as Voice ripped away from it. However, the Voice fought back, and Jimmy struggled against it. It was ungodly, the feeling of his very psyche separating. His mind was expanding, splitting apart into two separate consciousnesses. Even as they divided, the thoughts of one still penetrated the thoughts of the other. Jimmy could hear the Voice screaming at him, mentally clawing to get a hold of his consciousness and reunite with it. He kept moving forward, however. Sarah was calling him. Sarah!

The ripping sensation went from his mind to his body, and Jimmy's senses began to come back to him. He tried to step forward, struggling as some force tried to pull him back. He felt a horrid aura behind him, and when he opened his eyes he saw that the air around the corners of his vision was dark and distorted. In front of him was Kevin and Sarah, staring at him with looks of shock and concern. Jimmy felt the force pulling him back grow stronger, and he held out his hand in desperation.

"Jimmy!" Sarah ran forward and clasped onto his hand. She pulled hard, and Jimmy felt himself moving forward. Kevin ran behind Sarah and pulled on her, and then Ed did the same with Kevin. Jimmy's arm felt like it was on fire, screaming in pain, but he grew free enough from the aura to lift his other hand out. Edd and Nazz grabbed it, and with a countdown given by the former, everyone pulled Jimmy out. He flew through the air for a few feet, and landed near the boulder mountain.

"Jimmy, are you okay?!" Sarah dashed toward Jimmy and knelt near him. He breathed heavy, tears rolling down his face.

"I'm so sorry!" he pleaded. "I-I-I d-didn't mean to!"

Before he could say anything else, a sudden burst of air blew past everyone. With Sarah's help, Jimy struggled to his feet, and they looked past the others to where he was a few moments ago. Standing in Jimmy's place was a cloud, a deep blue aura of sorts. It continually shifted around in erratic spurts. Lightning zipped around it, small puffs of flame appeared and disappeared nearby, and the grass beneath it froze.

The aura suddenly condensed. Everyone took a cautious step back as it grew more and more solid, taking on a definite shape. Jimmy gasped as he saw what it was turning into. Two arms sprouted from a torso, then a pair of legs, and then a head. Tufts of puffy hair sprouted on top of it, and a large retainer orbited around its mouth.

It turned into Jimmy.

The aura didn't solidify completely. While most of it was in the shape of a dark, smoke-like Jimmy, the rest of it swirled around him in a blue miasma. The dark Jimmy scanned the area, his face livid and his eyes a dark crimson.

"J-Jimmy," Ed gasped. "This was inside you?"

"I-I…" Jimmy lost focus. His mind suddenly felt very hollow, the presence of the warm psychic energy that used to be inside him all but nonexistent. "I-th-think it's my PSI!" he called. "At first I couldn't use my powers, unless this voice in my head let me. That thing must be the voice! My PSI is evil!"

Dark Jimmy calmly waved an arm in front of him. In an instant, a tidal wave of fire materialized in front of him and burst forward.

"Take cover!" Kevin screamed as everyone sprinted to get out of the way. Nazz tried to absorb the flame with her PSI Neutralizer, but the attack pushed her back and burnt her skin faster than the device could protect her. Sarah grabbed Jimmy and the two jumped to the side just before the fire wall slammed into the mountain.

"Jimmy, if you really can't use your powers anymore, then get to safety!" Kevin shouted, running to Nazz's aid. "We'll take care of this impostor!"

Jimmy tried to get to his feet, but couldn't find the strength to stand. He turned to see Sarah running into the fray with everyone else, and a pit welled up in his throat. Without a word, he crawled into one of the mountain's many openings and hid inside.

The inside of the mountain was surprisingly dark. It was hollow, as Jimmy could see the boulders piled up all the way on the other side of it, but sunlight only slipped through a few cracks up above. A gaping hole took up most of the mountain's stone floor, where a powerful jet of air blasted up from it. The wind was warm and amazingly quiet, making little more noise than a distant rumble. Jimmy could definitely tell that it was home to a sanctuary, but between the guilt in his stomach and the hollowness in his mind, he couldn't enjoy the peace around him.

"What are you doing in here?"

Jimmy jumped at the sound of an old man's voice. Scrambling to his feet in terror, he fumbled to draw his golf driver and looked around.

"Easy there, I didn't mean to frighten you."

Squinting, Jimmy saw the outline of a stout man nearby. His features were obscured in the dark, but he didn't seem very intimidating.

"Wh-who are you?" Jimmy asked. "What are you doing all the way out here?"

"I could be asking you that," the man said. His voice had a strange quirkiness to it, like he could burst out in a warm chuckle at any moment. "I was simply hiding from that beast-man that you all fought off. A good show, if I do say so myself."

"Oh." Jimmy thought back to when he first saw the Wolf, who looked like he was pawing inside the cave for something. Of course, all he had been thinking at the time was how to go about obliterating it. "Well, I don't think I'm going to be fighting anymore."

"Why do you say that? You seemed to be the one with the most gusto, aside from that man."

"B-but that was the Voice! It was my PSI powers, controlling me and making me evil." Jimmy sighed, and then remembered that "PSI" wasn't a household term. He opened his mouth to explain, but the man cut him off.

"Your PSI is evil, you say?"

"Uh—well, yeah, I mean—"

"I find that hard to believe." The man leaned against the wall, and tilted his head up. "Now I don't possess such powers myself, but I know some that do, and I've studied it quite thoroughly through them. If there is one thing I know for sure, it's that PSI is never intrinsically good or evil. It is simply energy."

"B-but what is that, then?" Jimmy peaked through an opening in the mountain, and saw the others battling with Dark Jimmy. The being made minuscule movements, but with each one a devastating psychic attack would materialize. The others could barely get close to him, as he maintained both a psychic shield and a physical one at the same time.

"You didn't let me finish," the man said calmly. "PSI is a strange yet magnificent form of energy. It can only come from something with a mind, a living consciousness that not only tells the energy what to do, be it manifesting itself physically or interacting with the metaphysical world around us, but it also gives the energy a signature. A color, or flavor, so to speak, which is unique to every single person that possesses it."

Jimmy gave the man a few seconds to continue, and when he didn't, he said, "Okay, but what does that have to do with me? With _this_?"

"It has everything to do with you. It's _your_ PSI, is it not? Only you can control it. It is a part of you, part of your mind, part of your personality, part of your very being even. It is no more good nor evil than you think it is, than the actions you use it for."

Jimmy couldn't find anything to say back. He pressed his fingers to his temples and lost himself in his thoughts, feeling the newfound hollowness of his mind. It certainly wasn't what he'd felt like before he first used his powers. There was something there before, even if he'd never really felt it. It had been there for as far back as he could remember, and now it was just _gone_.

"Now, while I've never seen a case quite like yours," the man continued, "I can say with a fair amount of certainty that if your friends do manage to defeat your PSI, then it will be gone for good. That probably isn't likely, though, for I haven't seen that much raw power come from one person since…" his voice faded, but he shook his head and continued, "Well, I don't think you'd have to worry about _that_ particular scenario as much as you might… a different one."

Jimmy gasped, and looked out to the battle. Kevin and Ed were madly dashing around, focusing their full attention on healing the others. Rolf and Eddy's Brother rushed toward Dark Jimmy, attacking it with all of their might the instant Nazz disabled its physical shield. Dark Jimmy simply electrocuted them before they could get any closer. He levitated a little off the ground and moved forward, ignoring the two that he'd just stricken down.

"Now you seem a bit tired, which is understandable," the man said. Still hidden in the dark, he walked near the opening that Jimmy stood at from the other side and pulled something out of his coat. "If you'd like, I could provide some cover for you, in case you wish to do something about this mess."

Jimmy leaned against one of the boulders, clenching onto it. His entire body shook. Was that _thing_ really a part of him? He scanned the field once again, and his eyes locked on Sarah. She dashed around madly to avoid Dark Jimmy's attacks and push others to safety. She didn't avoid everything, however. A streak of lightning would trip her. A stray chunk of ice cut through her arm. A lick of flame scorched her clothes. She began to run slower and slower, and more attacks connected.

She was going to die, and it would be all Jimmy's fault.

"Y-yyeeeeaaaaaaaauuuuuggghh!" Jimmy charged out of the cave, screaming at the top of his lungs.

"W—hold on! I'm not set up yet!" the man called after him. Jimmy kept running. Ed, Nazz, Edd and Rolf lay on the ground unconscious around him, while Kevin and Eddy's Brother called out to ask what the heck he was thinking.

"Jimmy!" Sarah cried out.

"I know what I'm doing!" Jimmy lied back. Dark Jimmy took notice of him, and immediately summoned a bolt of lightning. It slammed into Jimmy, causing him to trip and fall to the ground. He felt the lightning course through him, making his entire body buzz sharply with pain. However, there was another feeling, something even stronger than the pain.

It felt familiar. It was his.

Jimmy got to his feet, the lightning still zipping around his body. He could feel it, not just through the pain but through an entirely different sense as well. The lightning came from _him_, not the Voice, not from something or someone else. With a mental twitch, he changed its path around his body. It continued to zip around his clothes, but no longer passed through him directly. Though it was small in comparison to Dark Jimmy's power, the energy Jimmy had was in his total control. It was _his._

A series of low screeches suddenly sounded from behind. Jimmy turned around to see something—five things—rocketing from the boulder mountain. As they came closer, he realized that they _were_ rockets, each no bigger than a bottle of soda, blasting toward Dark Jimmy. One crashed into his shield, exploding with a force powerful enough to shatter it. Everyone that was still conscious watched in awe as the other four rockets slammed into Dark Jimmy himself, each giving off an intense boom as they exploded.

"Go, boy! GO!" Jimmy heard the man shout cheesily from behind. He dashed forward, covering his mouth as smoke began to surround him. Without a further thought, he dove forward, and landed right on top of Dark Jimmy.

At once, Jimmy felt the immense power surge through him. It threatened to tear his body apart, but as before, Jimmy felt an intense familiarity. He kept it at bay. It couldn't hurt him. It was _his_.

_You're an idiot! You're weak both in mind and body, and you think you can overpower me?_

The feeling of Jimmy's mind merging back with the Voice was just as unpleasant as it was the other way around. This time, however, they were pushing into one another instead of pulling away. Jimmy's bodily senses began to fade. He saw nothing but the void. He couldn't hear anything over a fierce roar of noise that enveloped him. The Voice passed into Jimmy's consciousness, threatening to take it over again, but this time Jimmy fought back

_You want to get rid of me? Without me, you're nothing but a scrawny little crybaby!_

The Voice flashed images in Jimmy's head, memories of all the times he'd gotten hurt or cried. They were vivid, taking over his senses and forcing him to feel every cut and bruise he'd ever gotten. Jimmy almost felt like crying himself, but he continued his mental push. The energy around him was becoming more familiar, more his own with each passing second. At once, he saw into the Voice, and new images flashed before him. He saw himself making a deal with the Kanker sisters. He saw his ice pop scam, and the look on the Eds faces when they didn't get any of the money he made from it. He saw his own deviant smile, his cunning wit taking on a form of its own.

"Y-you're me," Jimmy gasped. He'd almost forgotten about the need to breathe at this point. "You're a part of me!"

_I am the _better_ you!_

Jimmy pushed harder, digging deeper into the Voice's consciousness. The further he went, the more it felt like his own. The Voice retaliated, sending frantic images of past nightmares and horrid memories, but Jimmy held fast.

"You're my tough side. The planning, cunning, scheming part of my mind! You're not any more important than anything else about me." Jimmy's voice was hoarse and struggled. He couldn't tell what was happening physically anymore, but his mind was becoming more and more clear. "But you're not any less important either! You and my PSI are both part of me. I am not a medium, or a vessel. We're all one and the same!"

Jimmy felt his PSI swirling madly around him. The Voice cried out in anger, but it began to fade. The darkness around it began to fade as well, evaporating into nothing as Jimmy felt his mind coming together. His thoughts became more clear, and the Voice transformed from a separate entity into something else entirely. It became memories, memories of all the times Jimmy had used PSI. He felt all the lightning that had coursed through his fingertips, the heat from all the fire he'd conjured, and the warm psychic glow of his powers in his head.

One particular memory surfaced, and everything slowed down as Jimmy watched it unfold before him. He saw the very first time he used PSI, back at the glacier when everyone had fallen off the train. He had used PK Fire, not to attack one of the many enemies around them, but to save Kevin's life when no one else could.

Jimmy smiled, and felt a warmth inside him. All at once, his senses came back, and he was standing back on the hill. He saw and felt and heard his PSI swirling around him, giving a brilliant purple aura as it quelled and began to seep back inside his body.

Everything became quiet, save for a warm gust of wind blowing from the mountain.

"J-Jimmy, are you okay?" Sarah walked cautiously toward the boy. She was cut and bruised and beaten, but her face only showed concern.

"I-I think so," Jimmy said. He felt dumbfounded, not knowing whether to move or keep still. His mind was so clear, though. He smiled at Sarah, who returned the look and broke into a run. She charged into Jimmy and hugged him tightly.

Jimmy immediately hugged her back. She felt so warm, so familiar. More memories rushed through his head, of all the times the two of them had played together and helped one another and hurt one another. Through the good and bad, she was always there, and she was here now. For moment, Jimmy felt like he was back at the cul-de-sac, enjoying a breezy summer day with Sarah.

His eyes fluttered open. He saw his hands glow a light green, and he heard Sarah gasp as her wounds began to close. Beaming, he hugged her tighter, and she did the same. He felt energy come from himself, not from the Voice or anything else. It was purely his, to give to her.

"Dude, that was amazing!" Kevin shouted from near the mountain. He helped Rolf to his feet, the last person to be brought back to consciousness. "What did you do to Dark Jimmy?"

Jimmy nearly winced at Kevin's voice removing him from the moment. Sarah finally broke away from the hug, but she smiled at him, and he felt better. "I-I dunno," Jimmy replied. "I took my PSI back from him, I guess." He walked over to the others with Sarah, and continued, "When I first realized that I had special powers, I was afraid of them. Well, most of me was, I guess. A different part of me wanted to use them, though, so I think it turned into its own… thingy."

"Amazing! 'PSI is able to inhabit and split apart different parts of one's personality'. I'll have to add that to my notes!"

Everyone turned to the boulder mountain. The man Jimmy saw before stepped out of it into the light.

"Who are you?" Kevin asked.

Jimmy heard the man finally let out a warm chuckle. He was stout, almost as short as Eddy. A pair of thick, foggy glasses covered his eyes, and he wore a white lab coat. Two puffs of white hair sat on his otherwise bald head, and he sported a thick mustache that covered his mouth.

"I believe that you are the ones I have been waiting for. I am Doctor Lloyd Kohfey Andonuts. But, if you'd like, you may simply call me Doctor Andonuts."


	53. Wisdom of the World

**Chapter 53**

* * *

"You all have been on quite the adventure, I see."

Doctor Andonuts sat cross-legged in front of everyone, contemplating the story Kevin had told him as he munched on a doughnut. Air swirled around the area, powerful yet warm and muted. Edd couldn't help but be utterly fascinated at the sanctuary they had found. They all sat on an island, a large chunk of rock suspended high in the air within the Boulder Mountain by a powerful jet of wind blasting from below. The top of the island was flat, covered in grass and flowers, and a single tree near the center provided the doctor with something to rest his back on. The boulders forming the hollow mountain around them fit loosely together, making hundreds of gaps from which everyone could see the blue sky beyond. Sunlight poured over the floating island in streaks, creating glowing patterns on the grass.

Kevin sat next to Edd and Nazz, who helped him tell his story. Ed and Jimmy rested behind them, both sitting close to Sarah. Rolf simply lay on the grass, letting the warmth and beauty of the sanctuary fill him as he listened. Eddy's Brother sat up, having waited impatiently for Kevin to finish his story.

"Now," he said darkly, "I believe you owe me some money, old man. I didn't let these brats drag me halfway across the world and back for nothing."

Kevin turned to sneer at him, but he heard Doctor Andonuts chuckle. "Of course, mister, um…"

"Dorkface."

"Ah yes, mister Dorkface."

Eddy's Brother slapped Kevin hard on the head, but Kevin simply smirked knowing it was worth it. The doctor carried on without missing a beat, pulling out of his coat a strange device. It looked like a small mechanical box, with a wide slot near the bottom and a lid on top. Everyone watched as he opened up the lid to reveal a glass surface underneath, as if the device was some kind of photocopier. To Edd's and Eddy's Brother's horror, the man pulled a hundred dollar bill out of his pocket, placed it on the glass surface and closed the lid. He pressed a button on the side of the device, and the slot near the bottom began spitting out more hundreds.

"Dude, you gave me _forged_ money?!" Eddy's Brother dove into his pockets and hastily pulled out a handful of bills, holding them up to the light.

"Not to worry, mister Dorkface, my Slip Replicator can make perfect copies of anything paper-related, down to the molecular structure of the material and the ink printed on it. It was as if these were fresh off the mint."

"Good sir!" Edd protested, "Where on earth did you get such a foul device? You could be charged severely for forgery on such a scale!"

"Why, I invented it, of course!" the man boasted. "I'm an inventor. I invent things, like this machine that I invented!"

Jimmy and Sarah giggled at each other, but Edd still couldn't believe what he was hearing. He opened his mouth as the doctor handed the stack of money to Eddy's Brother, but Kevin spoke first.

"You used that thing to give us those blank train tickets, didn't you?" he asked. "To the Talastsbo Express?"

"Very observant," Doctor Andonuts replied. "Indeed, I did forge your tickets, as I had no way of knowing when you'd find them and decide to depart."

"That means those tickets weren't paid for!" Edd shouted. "We were given service and transportation in exchange for nothing but a fraud! That's borderline stealing! That's—"

"That's enough!" The doctor's warm demeanor darkened a little, and he put on a stern face behind his glasses. "I know very well that what I did was wrong, but you have to understand me when I say that I'm not from here and I have no idea how long I can stay in this place. I used this machine out of necessity, and I very well understand the ramifications of wanton abuse of it."

Everyone went silent, with Ed, Edd and Kevin letting their jaws hang down in surprise at the man's sudden seriousness. Doctor Andonuts was quick to resume his happier attitude, however, smiling underneath his mustache and relaxing his posture as he sat back down in front of the tree.

"I think it would be best if you saved most of your questions until I tell you all _my_ story," he said. "Now Nazz, I had no idea you were friends with these boys here, or else I would've explained—"

"Wait, you know Nazz?" Kevin sputtered. "How could you have possibly—"

"Kevin, of course we met," Nazz said. "Who do you think gave me all my gadgets? We bumped into each other at Apple Canal while were we being chased by a horde of these orange, multiplying little—"

"Stop interrupting each other!" Eddy's Brother yelled.

"Yes, well," Doctor Andonuts continued. "I think it would be best to start from the beginning. A lot of this may sound incredible or outlandish, but I can promise that it is the truth. It is a long story, and most of it may not seem related to our current plight at first, but I promised I would give you a thorough explanation, and knowing this may help us prepare for the future." He took a deep breath, smelling the sweet aroma of the flowers near him as the air brushed past his face, and continued, "It all started with a man named George, and his wife, Maria."

Kevin perked up, but he remained silent as the man continued.

"George and Maria lived in rural America in the early twentieth century. They were both kidnapped, stolen from their home by a race of aliens. These aliens—"

"Know PSI and studied other life forms," Kevin finished.

The doctor's bushy eyebrows rose high above his glasses. "Th-that is correct! How do you know that?"

"From this." Kevin pulled out George's journal, and stood up to hand it to Doctor Andonuts.

"M-my word, this is George's missing journal!" The man leafed through the pages, his glasses sparkling in awe. "Where on earth did you get this?"

"My dad gave it to me. I'm George and Maria's great-grandson."

Doctor Andonuts looked Kevin inquisitively, a slow stream of air flowing from his mouth. He looked away, and Kevin could see the gears turning in the man's head.

"How can it… No, unless… Could he really have?… Hmm…" He mumbled and muttered to himself, his head moving from Kevin, to the journal, then to the top of the mountain and back. Ed waited patiently next to Sarah and Jimmy, while Nazz, Kevin, Rolf and Edd all exchanged glances at one another. Eddy's Brother simply lay on his back, flipping through the stack of hundreds in his hands and pretending not to be listening.

"Ah, I see," Doctor Andonuts said at last. "It makes sense now."

"What does?" Kevin asked.

"You, erm…"

"Dingbat."

Kevin growled at Eddy's Brother as he chuckled to himself.

"Ah. You, Dingbat…" He trailed off, and Edd heard him mumble something about people having peculiar names.

"Actually, it's Kevin," Edd said. "His name is Kevin."

"That makes much more sense," the doctor chimed. "I'm starting to think I should've gotten all of your names beforehand. Anyway, you, Kevin, are not George's only great-grandson."

"Really?"

"I believe so, because George's other great-grandson was a close friend of mine.

"As I was saying, George and Maria were abducted by aliens in the early twentieth century. Just like this book describes, they studied PSI along with other captives. However, there are things that happened to them which aren't written down in this journal.

"The aliens were a race that was fascinated with knowledge, quickly advancing in technology faster than you could imagine. After mastering intergalactic and even interdimensional travel, they sought to explore the universe and learn about the other lifeforms that inhabited it.

"So they eventually came upon Earth. The aliens were peaceful, but they knew of Earth's history of war and did not want to risk engaging in conflict between them and humans, so they kept their presence minimum and studied the human race a few people at a time."

"So they took George and Maria and other people just to study them?" Kevin could almost feel a giddy excitement emanating from Ed behind him.

"Indeed. At the same time, however, the aliens were devising an experiment. On the very ship that they studied their captives in, they created a synthetic lifeform. An infant, based off of the genetic makeup of their race, was born. This infant had a tremendous amount of PSI, more power than you could imagine. The aliens feared it, but their thirst for knowledge kept them from disposing of it.

"George and Maria overheard many arguments between the aliens over how to go about raising the child, from keeping it in a test tube and closely monitored to freezing it in a stasis. As a mother, Maria insisted that they raise the child with love and care, not as an experiment. The aliens eventually agreed, but they put it upon her to raise it. The child was named Giegue, which means 'giver' in the alien's language. Maria raised him as her own, doing everything from feeding him to luring him to sleep with a lullaby.

"During that time, the aliens traveled to the ends of the universe and back. In fact, they even traveled to other dimensions." The doctor took in a deep breath, and continued, "Now, here's where things get strange. You see, neither the aliens, nor George, nor _I_ am from this dimension. When I mentioned Earth, I was talking about one parallel to this Earth, albeit in a different reality."

"Wait," Kevin said, putting a hand up to his temple, "so you're like from an alternate universe?"

"That's the simple explanation, yes. You see, though there are infinitely many different universes, many dimensions share most of the traits of others around them. There are many different versions of Earth, all similar but with differences, some minor and some major. The people inhabiting it are usually all different, though there are similarities in looks or personality that can bleed between people from one reality to the next. Often times the names of towns and cities are different, but things like language usually remains a constant, with English and German and what have you being largely unchanged.

"This is why your being George's great-grandson confused me at first. He and Maria had already had a child on my version of Earth before they were kidnapped by the aliens. However, according to one of his journals that I've read, he and the other captives actually made a few escape attempts while the aliens were travelling from dimension to dimension. I hypothesize that they must have escaped to this universe at one point, perhaps long enough to bear a child before the aliens recaptured them."

Kevin remembered back to when he talked about George with his father, and nodded. "My dad told me that George was captured for two years, then returned for a short while and went missing again."

"I see. The story of what happened to him probably got mixed with what happened here, as he ultimately found his way back to his own Earth. However, Maria wasn't as fortunate."

"This is really interesting and all," Eddy's Brother deadpanned, still laying down on the grass, "but what does this have to do with stuff turning evil and crap?"

"As I said, I'll get to all of that soon," Doctor Andonuts replied cordially. "Now, when George finally escaped to Earth, the aliens grew worried. When they first started capturing humans, they had no idea that we would be receptive of their PSI and able to use its power ourselves. George grew to be a master of the art, and when he escaped the aliens feared that he would teach it to others on Earth, which they knew had a history of using great power for violence. They debated for decades, deciding what to do, which action to take. Giegue matured during this time, and eventually the aliens decided that he go down to Earth and stop PSI from spreading.

"This is where George's other great-grandson, a boy named Ninten, as well as myself come in. When Giegue invaded Earth, his psychic powers were so immense that he had trouble controlling them. His power spilled over the land, driving animals crazy and causing inanimate objects to come to life. As you know from the letter I sent you on the Talastsbo Express, those who are driven to madness by this PSI specifically target others who are able to use PSI themselves. Realizing what his power was doing, Giegue began to use it intentionally, to weed out other users.

"However, Ninten's PSI powers were great, and he fought off everything that tried to do him in. I first met him when he found me in a trashcan at my elementary school."

"He found you where?"

"Irrelevant.

"Anyway, we journeyed around the country, fighting off those affected by Giegue's PSI as well as collecting pieces of a strange melody. Along the way, we met new friends, such as Anna and Teddy, the latter of which bears a striking resemblance to you, I might add." Doctor Andonuts pointed at Eddy's Brother, who tilted his head up, cocked an eyebrow and gave a disinterested grunt.

"Throughout the journey, Ninten learned of his heritage. The melody that we were piecing together turned out the be the lullaby Maria sang for Giegue. When we finally confronted the alien, that lullaby turned to be his downfall, as he couldn't bear the memories of Maria when she raised him. He left the planet peacefully after that, though not without vowing to return someday.

"That day came many years later, when the strange happenings and Giegue's PSI influence began again. This time, a different group of children—most of whom psionically-gifted, and one being my own son—rose to the challenge and fought Giegue again. However, this time Giegue had help. He influenced the mind of a young but rotten little boy to do his bidding. The boy's name was Porky Minch.

"Porky proved to be an increasingly tough obstacle for my son and his friends to overcome, manipulating others into fighting them and just being a nuisance all around.. Eventually, near the end of their journey, he stole a time machine."

"A time machine?" Edd asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, a time machine," the doctor answered proudly. He began to shrink, however, as he added, "One that… that I may have sort of built.

"A-anyway, he stole my time machine and began abusing it, travelling to many different eras and god-knows-where-or-when else, doing as he pleased. Due to the early experimental nature of the machine as well as his rampant abuse of it, Porky's body became corrupted. He aged thousands of years while keeping a childlike mentality, and the temporal disturbances in his body had somehow made him all but immortal.

"Porky stood by Giegue, who by this point had become corrupted by his own immense power. My son and his friends called him Giygas, which incidentally is the alien's language for 'destroyer'. When Giygas was ultimately defeated by them, Porky fled in the time machine to another era. Eventually, however, he came back to our time, and he kidnapped me.

"I was forced to build machines for the child, as he had somehow acquired many powerful weapons that only he could use. Though he had lived for centuries at this point, he was still immature and childish, and he grew very bored very quickly. I managed to modify the time machine so that it wouldn't affect me as it did him, but I was now flung through time and space with Porky Minch."

The man took another deep breath, and with a smile, said, "Now this is where your world begins to be involved. You see, when Porky's time machine is activated, it flings itself into what is called the Chronosphere. It is a dimension where the time and space of all other dimensions intersect, and travelling through it can allow one to be anywhere and anytime.

"Due to the unstable nature of my prototype time machine, something happened to Porky. For some reason—perhaps the same way his body aged and became immortal—the different eras he traveled to began to _reject_ him. After spending some time somewhere, a temporal vortex would open up, sucking him back into the Chronosphere and disallowing him to return to that general area and time period. In fact, that was one of the reasons he kidnapped me in the first place, so I could find a solution for him. I've managed to—ahem—_forget about_ that research for quite some time.

"As we traveled through different dimensions and eras, Porky grew desperate to entertain himself. Somehow—maybe from being exposed to Giygas's influence for so long, I'd imagine—he realized that he could use his old master's PSI abilities for himself. He could use a sort of PSI Dominance, which allowed him to slowly corrupt the minds of those around him, making them go mad. He also discovered that he could amplify this power and contain it, using something akin to a Mani Mani statue."

"What's a Mani Mani statue?" Jimmy asked.

"In my world, it was a golden idol of a horned devil. Giygas channeled his power through it to spread his influence far and wide. It allowed him not only to drive people to insanity, but also to control their minds and force them to do specific tasks for him. Now, the statue on its own had no mystical properties; it was worshiped by a small, ancient tribe, but other than that it didn't seem like it could enhance Giygas's PSI. However, Porky is doing something similar on this Earth, using a vessel to broadcast his PSI Dominance and slowly control the minds of everyone on the planet. I'm not sure what it is yet, but my best guess is that it'll be something of great value to someone or a group of people."

Kevin suddenly felt everyone's gaze turn to him, and he looked around curiously until he noticed his bike next to him. "What? You're not saying—"

"Oh no, your bike most definitely wouldn't be a Mani Mani," Doctor Andonuts reassured. "At this point, so much as getting close to a Mani Mani would have extreme and noticeable effects on the mind and body. Since it is a vessel for storing and channeling raw power, being close to a powerful Mani Mani would become akin to getting near Giygas himself. And that, according to my son, is something nobody should ever have to experience."

"Man," Kevin put both hands up to his temples, and stared at the grass in front of him. "Interdimensional aliens, all-powerful little kids, this Googy person. You're saying that now _our_ version of Earth is getting wrapped up in all of this?"

"For the time being, yes," Doctor Andonuts said. "Hopefully, however, we can rid this world of Porky's influence and return things to normal."

"Speaking of which," Eddy's Brother said, "where is this Pokey guy anyway? I thought you were with him or something."

"A good question, Dorkface!" Eddy's Brother smacked Kevin again. "You see, when we first arrived in this dimension, the first thing Porky did was build a base for his army of Starmen. The Starmen were robots, designed and built by Giegue and later used as his personal army when he became Giygas. Porky somehow got a hold of their blueprints, and he forced me to build a tower where they'd be constructed."

The doctor smiled, and he continued, "Fortunately, you all know how that eventually turned out. Porky is powerful and even cunning at times, but he is by no means smart. Though I was forced to design the tower, he gave me freedom with the details, and didn't notice that I insulated the walls with high-grade explosives. That's not to mention the computer terminal in the prisoner's room and all the other things I left in to ensure the tower's destruction."

"So I'm assuming you escaped from Porky's captivity sometime around this point?" Edd asked.

"Yes I did, actually, and I've been on the run from him up until now. Porky nearly found me at Saturn Valley, but I managed to give him the slip the same way I did the first time."

"So how did you get away from him the first time?" Nazz asked.

"That's… irrelevant."

"Okay, so now we know this Porky guy's behind everything," Kevin said. "How do we stop him?"

"It is not Porky we should be worrying about," Doctor Andonuts replied. "It is the Mani Mani he's created. We have to find it and destroy it, and things will start returning to normal."

"Okay, so how do we do that?"

"Well, I don't really know." The man turned his head away. "I never got to see what sort of object Porky channeled his power into or where it is."

Kevin looked around the area in thought, and something caught his eye. He saw a glint in the tree, and he smiled. "What do you make of this?" Kevin stood up and pulled the mirror out of his pocket.

"Why, I think that's a mirror," Doctor Andonuts said. "Though it seems broken."

"Thanks, captain," Eddy's Brother spat.

Kevin walked toward the tree, and looked up at its branches. The glint turned into a reflection, resting on top of one of the lower branches. Kevin jumped up and grabbed at it, coming down with another mirror piece in his hands.

"We've found pieces of this mirror all over the Earth in sanctuaries like this," he said, merging the piece he just found with the rest of the mirror. "I think they're important somehow."

Doctor Andonuts stood up, inspecting the mirror closely. "My, that mirror may become important," he said."In fact, I think it may be this Earth's equivalent of the Eight Melodies."

"Eight Melodies?" Jimmy asked. "What are they?"

"Just as they sound to be. You see, the reason my son and his friends became powerful enough to face Giygas is because the leader of their group, Ness, gathered eight fragments of a melody from around the world. When he heard them all, he was able to cast out all the evil from his mind, and he gained power from the very Earth itself."

"So what does this mirror mean?" Kevin asked.

"As I said, Earth and its inhabitants can vary between dimensions. However, one thing usually stays the same, and it's the fact that the Earth is _alive_."

"Alive?" Edd asked. "How do you define 'alive' in terms of the Earth?"

"Just think about it," the doctor replied. "Think about your own body. We're made up of organ systems, which are composed of organs, composed of tissue which are composed of cells. Every individual cell on our body is alive independently from one another. Every cell can live or die on its own, and the death of a single cell or even up to a small multitude of cells does not cause your body to die. However, if most or all of them were to die, then so would we. In short, we are living beings made up of billions of smaller living beings."

"So you're saying that the Earth is alive because there is life on it?"

"Correct! The earth is like an enormous organism, made up of all the smaller life living on it. Now, all living things must have a way to protect themselves, from the environment or other living things or who knows what. The Earth—almost all of the Earths which contain life—has a defense mechanism against something that threatens the majority of the life on it." The man looked at the mirror in Kevin's hands, and said, "I believe that you are holding that mechanism in your hands."

Kevin looked at the mirror, and felt his grip on it tighten. "What'll it do once it's finished?" he asked.

"The only way of knowing for sure is to finish it," Doctor Andonuts replied. "On my Earth, its form of defense was a melody, divided into eight pieces that could be found in sanctuaries like this one, scattered across the planet. When Ness acquired them all, he was thrown into a stasis, where he literally battled his inner demons and allowed the power of every living thing on the planet into his body. It made him and his PSI incredibly powerful, and helped cause Giygas's downfall."

Kevin peered into his reflection in the mirror, and saw his friends peering into it behind him. Ed, Edd, Jimmy, Rolf, Nazz, Sarah, and even Eddy's Brother gazed into its pristine surface, and it showed the seven of them as a group.

"You have incredible power," Doctor Andonuts said. "You all do. If this Earth and mine are as similar as I've observed them to be, then you may very well be the ones to save it in a time of peril."

Kevin looked up. "Save the world? You really think we can save the world?"

"Of course I do," the man said, his glasses gleaming in the sunlight. "Look how far you've come already. You're the great-grandson of George, even wearing one of the Franklin Badges he invented."

Kevin placed a hand on his hat, and felt the badge on it. "Wait, George made this?"

"He made two of them. One made its way into the hands of Ness, who saved my world from destruction before. The other was given to me by Ninten, which I now leave in your hands as George's successor."

Kevin felt a familiar warmth well inside of him, and he smiled. His reflection in the mirror seemed to glow as Doctor Andonuts continued talking.

"You've come a long way, but you still have quite a journey left ahead of you.

_Kevin felt the wind rush past his face and through the opening in his cap as he sped down the road. His bike glided under him as he pedaled effortlessly on it._

"You've had trials and tribulations with your friends, but you all have pulled through them."

_He felt the world move around him as he stood perfectly still, the wheels on his bike spinning in place as the ground sped past under them._

"You all have incredible power, and have demonstrated all varieties of strength and courage."

_Everything turned into a blur as he raced down the road and into the light, where his friends stood waiting for him._

"This is your world, your Earth, and you have the means to defend it from whatever may try come its way!"

_Together, they spread their light to the darkness beyond._

"Kevin, are you and your friends ready to cast out Porky's evil and save the world?"

Kevin rose to his feet, the wind tousling his clothes and light gleaming off of his Franklin Badge. His friends got up behind him, and the sanctuary seemed to fill with an inexplicable energy. Kevin turned to Doctor Andonuts, and a smile spread across his face as he nodded.

"Absolutely."

* * *

**End Part 5**


	54. Chapter 54

**Part 6**

* * *

**Chapter 54**

* * *

"My, this is quite innovative!"

Doctor Andonuts sat cross-legged on the grassy surface of the Windy Island, as Ed had named it. He held up his arms and linked hands with Jimmy and Ed, completing a circle formed with them along with Edd, Kevin and Sarah. Eddy's Brother, Rolf and Nazz watched nearby from the tree in the center of the island.

"The sanctuaries on my version of Earth were discovered by my son and his friends seemingly by chance along their travels," Doctor Andonuts said. "Ever since their journey—and even a little before then, since some of my dear childhood friends were psychic—I have studied PSI. I deduced that those with PSI are naturally drawn toward nearby sanctuaries, as the energy from these places resonates on a deep level with one's psionic energy. However, no one had ever thought to actively seek these places out by using their very energy to look on a global scale." He smiled widely behind his thick mustache. "Very creative, I must say!"

"Less talking more mystic-ing," Eddy's Brother groaned, lying on his back underneath the tree.

"He said that exact phrase the last time we did this," Edd muttered under his breath. He cast a curious glance over at the man, wondering what Eddy's Brother would do now that his stated reason for joining them had been fulfilled.

The thought soon faded, though, as Edd began to concentrate. Like the last time, he sensed an alien energy travel from his arms to his mind, and he felt the presence of everyone around him in the form of glowing lights in a blank void. It was a bit unnerving, as he could sense the emotions of everyone in the ring with an unnatural clarity. He noticed how Jimmy and Sarah enjoyed feeling the other's hand grasping theirs. He felt a warm, almost giddy excitement from Doctor Andonuts, one that reminded Edd of himself when he discovered something new to study or experiment upon. Kevin himself seemed even more excited, as a bright energy burned within him. One wouldn't have needed psychic powers to tell that he was excited at the prospect of saving the world.

Ed simply emitted a continuous warm, simple feeling of content. However, something caught Edd's attention, and when he focused on it, he felt something cold and icy. It was barely perceptible, but as Edd observed it, it became apparent that the feeling was very deep, only barely poking through surface of Ed's psyche like the tip of an iceberg. Before he could question what it was or investigate it, Kevin tapped into the power of the sanctuary around them, and suddenly Edd felt the alarming sensation of his perception growing to encompass the earth.

Like last time, everyone strained as the planet's surface in its entirety crammed itself into their consciousness, but Edd was quick to partition it into separate chunks. As he drew latitude lines, he felt Doctor Andonuts draw longitude lines, apparently having grasped how to do it much quicker than Edd had his first time around. Though his eyes were closed and the man's glasses appeared to be completely opaque from the front, Edd could feel the doctor giving him a mental wink, which he warmly returned.

"Okay, this'll be just like last time," Kevin said. "Doctor Donuts—"

"Andonuts."

"—we're looking for somewhere on the earth that feels just like this place does. Now we've already found four others, so don't get too excited if you find one."

"Yeah, wouldn't want the old man to blow a gasket," Eddy's Brother mocked. Edd suddenly felt a small, disturbing sense of longing come from Doctor Andonuts, and the image of what looked to be some sort of flamethrower appeared in his mind.

Edd shuttered, and silently prayed that no one be fool enough to cross the strange man sitting across from him.

Everyone resumed concentrating on searching, spreading out from the section of earth they were on. Edd and Doctor Andonuts had to focus on keeping the sections divided and couldn't concentrate on any one part for long, so they left it up to the others to look for the remaining sanctuaries.

Kevin, in an act of curiosity and a little homesickness, shifted his focus to the Americas. He found Blueberry Bay, where he and the others had boarded the Talastsbo Express, and then headed west toward Lime Lake. As he scanned south toward Lemon Brook, he gasped. He felt a tinge of icy darkness as he scanned over the town, just like the darkness he'd felt last time. Unlike last time, though, this was less of a black void and more of a thin veil. It tugged at his consciousness, but it wasn't strong enough to pull him in.

With butterflies in his stomach—very, very _angry_ butterflies made of iron, more like—he treaded past Lemon Brook. A tingle of fear went down his spine, and he quickly searched for the Crystal Clearing sanctuary. He found it in the form of a beacon of light, chasing away the veil of darkness around it. Despite its warmth, Kevin couldn't shake an unnerving feeling that seemed to swarm around him. He looked down the mountain toward Cherry Falls, and suddenly the hair on the back of his neck began to stand on end. A wave of inexplicable terror suddenly washed over Kevin, and he broke from the others to stand up.

"Something's wrong," he said, feeling his breath leave him. The others in the circle broke from their trance and Nazz, Eddy's Brother and Rolf gave him questioning looks.

"What's wrong?" Edd asked, standing up as Kevin quickly made his way toward his bike behind him.

"I don't know, but I got this really bad feeling when I looked at Cherry Falls," he replied. His face was covered in cold sweat, and he stumbled to grab his bike. As he walked it toward the edge of the island, his steps became staggered. His legs seemed indecisive on whether to slow him down enough to talk or break into a mad sprint on the spot. "I'm going to check it out. Check on my parents."

"We'll come with you," Nazz said as she began to follow Kevin. "It could be dangerous."

Kevin turned and opened his mouth to protest, but everyone was already getting on their feet and heading toward the edge of the island with him. He felt himself giving a small, grateful smile, and he turned back around to jump off the edge. The powerful column of wind that kept the island aloft slowed Kevin's and everyone else's fall as they descended to the base of the Boulder Mountain.

When they reached solid ground below and found a place to exit, Edd turned to see Eddy's Brother behind him.

"What?" the man asked.

"Oh, erm—" Edd tried to think of something to say. The last thing he wanted was to remind the man that he had no reason to stay with them, but in a fit of nervousness, he ended up blurting out, "Why are you coming with us?"

"Uh, 'cause he's kinda my ride outta this dump?"

"Oh, right."

When they left the mountain and entered the sunny planes beyond, Doctor Andonuts suddenly stopped. "Ooh, I know how we can get there faster!" he shouted. Everyone turned to face him, and he said, "I managed to evade Porky as well as travel here using a makeshift copy of my famous flying machine, the Skyrunner." He quickly made to circle around the mountain to the other side, prompting the others to follow him. Kevin opened his mouth to protest, but he found himself following everyone else as they followed the doctor.

When they reached the other side, the man said, "I believe I left it—"

Everyone stopped when he did, right in front of a large wreck. Pieces of metal laid scattered around a small crater in the hill, which held what looked to be a once-spherical machine of some sort. A small trail of smoke was pluming from the wreckage, and the doctor tilted his head to the side.

"I can't believe we missed that earlier," Edd remarked.

"Oh, I forgot," Doctor Andonuts said casually, "I never was too good when it came to landing." Before a suddenly curious Nazz and Kevin could wonder how the man didn't seem to have any sort of grievous injury on him, he chimed, "But not to worry! I can fix this in but a few hours!"

"We don't have that kind of time!" Kevin shouted. "I think something really bad is happening! Just line up behind me and we'll teleport there."

"Oh, you can teleport?" The man beamed behind his mustache. "That's an exceedingly rare PSI ability. Only a select few PSI users can successfully perform it! That, and certain species of monkey, I believe."

In one fluid sequence, Kevin smiled, scrunched his face in confusion, then shook his head and mounted his bike. He pedaled down the large hill and everyone followed behind in a long line. Kevin found it somewhat difficult to speed up, as if he was physically pulling along everyone behind him, but the worrying feeling in his gut steeled him and made him pedal hard.

The whirring-gargling noise around everyone quickly crescendoed into a low boom, and the scenery immediately changed from bright, sunny grass to smoke, fire and brick buildings. Kevin braked hard on his bike to slow down, wincing as everyone behind him clumsily slammed into each other—

Wait, _fire_?

Kevin's mouth hung open in shock as he gazed around him. Several buildings were burning, darkening the night sky above Cherry Falls with smoke. People scrambled around in a panic, their clothes scorched and battered. They dashed to find shelter as buildings began to crumble to the ground around them. Nobody seemed to notice the nine strangers that had appeared from thin air in the chaos.

Ed and Jimmy immediately ran toward the nearest building and cast PK Freeze to put out the flames. After an initial powerful burst, however, they noticed that the excess ice clinging to the building's surface expanded quickly, and it damaged the building even further. They wordlessly proposed that they use less energy, and quickly moved to put out more fires.

Edd and Doctor Andonuts attempted to get one of the frightened citizens' attention, but they couldn't get anyone to stop for long enough to ask what was going on. The doctor noticed that everyone was looking at one another in their panic more than the burning buildings themselves, as if they were more worried about running into someone in particular than escaping the fire.

Nazz heard a short, tiny ringing noise over the roar of the fire and panicked shouts. A second later, a massive ball of ice fell from the sky, slamming into one of the buildings from high up in the air.

Kevin felt his stomach tighten, and his mind went blank. He recognized the small hotel he'd spent the night in after getting George's journal back from the crows, and stared at it from afar. Bright flames poured from every opening except the front entrance, which bore a large, broken window around the door. He could see the front desk inside the hotel. It was burning, and a black telephone nearby melted in the heat.

Oh god.

Kevin burst from his trance. He saw the giant ice boulder that had been launched from somewhere high up, and he immediately swiveled to see a large hill looming over the town. On top of it stood a line of houses. Grabbing his bike, Kevin wordlessly sped away from everyone else and to the road leading up the hill.

To his parents.

**~γγγγγγ~**

"How about this building?"

Edd and Doctor Andonuts stood before a squat, brick building a short ways away from the inferno engulfing the rest of the town. It looked sturdy enough to withstand any debris from collapsing buildings close by, and large enough to hold several people.

"I believe it should suffice," Doctor Andonuts said. Quickly, the two returned to the town, where the others nervously waited.

"What foul terror has plagued this place?" Rolf asked. He, Sarah, Nazz and Eddy's Brother stood close to one another in the center of the town, in the middle of an intersection farthest from any of the dangerous buildings around them. Ed and Jimmy continued to try and put buildings out with their PSI, but it proved to be a difficult task for the both of them.

"Quickly, everyone!" Edd called as he carefully sidestepped a burning plank of wood in the street to approach them. "We've found a secure building down south. Help Doctor Andonuts and me round citizens up and evacuate to it!"

"Does it really take a bunch of kids to do that?" Eddy's Brother hissed. "Let these idiots handle things themselves. We should be finding out who caused this and kicking his ass!"

"That's not important now," Nazz replied. "We don't even know if a person is even behind all this. It could've been caused by a lightning storm or an earthquake!"

Eddy's Brother stepped closer to her, and bent down so they were at the same eye level. "Ever heard of hail the size of_ trucks_ coming down, one gigantic ice chunk at a time?"

Nazz scowled. "These people will still be in danger even if you stop whoever or whatever's responsible. We've got to help them to safety first!"

"Yeah, herd them all into one convenient place so another_ giant chunk of ice_ can kill everyone at once!"

Nazz scowled, and opened her mouth to retort, but Edd quickly stepped in between them. "Arguing will get us nowhere," he said calmly, quickly alternating his gaze between the two. "It is imperative that we help vacate the area, but it is also equally important that we put a stop to whoever caused this to prevent further destruction. Fortunately there are enough of us to do both."

Everyone gave Edd with a surprised look, and they watched him step back as he gave out orders. "Nazz, you, Rolf and I will help evacuate the area."

As he spoke, he beckoned Nazz and Rolf over to him. "Eddy's Brother, you take Doctor Andonuts and Sarah and follow Kevin to his parents' house. I'll send Ed and Jimmy as well once they're finished putting out the fire."

Eddy's Brother put on a sour look. "I have a name, you know," he scolded. "It's—"

Suddenly, a tall building nearby collapsed. A large iron beam slammed into the road between the two groups, further damaging the buildings around them.

"We can't keep standing here," Nazz shouted over the noise of destruction. "Let's go!"

Everyone in her group turned away and began guiding others toward the safe building, leaving Eddy's Brother, Sarah and Doctor Andonuts behind.

"What was your name, again?" Doctor Andonuts asked.

Eddy's Brother simply shook his head and stormed off toward the hill. The doctor wondered if this sort of thing happened to him a lot.

**~γγγγγγ~**

Kevin pedaled hard up the steep hill he'd ridden down an eternity ago. Back then, he was propelled by gravity. Now, he was propelled by terror, and that proved to be a more powerful force. In between the houses he passed by on his right, he could see the bright inferno of the town below. The smoke stretched up above it, covering half of the otherwise clear night sky with smoldering black.

His eyes locked upon the house he recognized as his parents'. His breathing grew heavy and sweat began to form on his head. Kevin couldn't tell whether it was from biking so far uphill or from the terror clenching his stomach.

Finally, finally, Kevin reached the house. He hopped off of his bike, wincing at the sound it made as it tipped over and crashed into the lawn. He didn't slow down, however, until he reached the front door. He gently grasped the knob, choosing to paralyze his hand in fear rather than have it tremble and make noise. His heart pounded in his chest as though it was attempting to break out of it, and he slowly, silently turned the knob. After half a turn, it wouldn't turn any further, and Kevin pushed the door open.

The house was built so that most of the kitchen was visible from the front door. The back wall of the kitchen was comprised mostly of a large, panoramic window to view Cherry Falls in its entirety from high above. Currently, the light from the burning town illuminated three figures. Two of them lay on the kitchen floor, motionless, and one stood over them. It glared at Kevin, the bright, orange fire reflecting off its black helmet.

Kevin let out a tremendous scream.


	55. Chapter 55

**Chapter 55**

* * *

"Why did Kevin have to move to a stupid house all the way up this stupid hill?"

Sarah grumbled loudly to herself as she hiked up the steep road with Eddy's Brother and Doctor Andonuts. They had ran initially, but the doctor quickly ran out of breath, and Sarah followed soon after.

"Because they knew that one day you'd get sent there by some sock-headed dorkbag and made sure to make the trip as long as possible, just to spite you," Eddy's Brother hissed. "Now come on, if we don't find whoever started the fires then we can at least bash Bike-Boy's head in for leading us in the wrong direction."

"Let us have some faith in—huff—Kevin's intuition," Doctor Andonuts wheezed. Eddy's Brother had slowed down to a brisk walking pace, but the doctor still had trouble keeping up with him and Sarah. "After all—hoof—he did correctly predict that something was happening to this town."

"Remind me again why the kooky old man was chosen to be on the 'fighting' team and not the 'rescuing' one?"

Doctor Andonuts bolted up. "I'm not that old!" he protested, "I just look it because I happen to be albino." After a pause, he deflated a little, and added quietly, "And out of shape." Another pause, and he mumbled, "And balding."

He closed his mouth, and resumed walking without another word.

Cherry Falls came into view through the houses next to the three as they rose above the tall trees between the hill and the town. It was still bright against the dark forest surrounding it, but the fire was beginning to disappear. The town's lights began to replace the fire as a source of its glow between the houses. Sarah quietly smiled to herself, knowing that both her brother and her best friend were working together down there.

When they neared the top of the hill, Eddy's Brother stopped. "So, which one of these houses is it?"

Sarah and Doctor Andonuts stared at him blankly. Eddy's Brother's eyes widened.

"I thought you knew," Doctor Andonuts said, looking at Sarah. "Haven't you been to his house before?"

"No, that was Jimmy," the girl replied. "I stayed at Lemon Brook, and then went straight to Jimmy when Kevin came and got me."

The two heard an audible _slap_ as Eddy's Brother smacked his hand to his forehead. Then, all three of them heard an audible _blast_ as the back wall of one of the houses ahead exploded. They watched in surprise as a wave of brilliant, multi-colored energy burst from it. The light formed sharp, shifting three-dimensional shapes, which engulfed a black figure as it tumbled down the side of the mountain toward Cherry Falls. Another figure jumped from the house after it. The light of the burning city behind it turned the figure into the silhouette of a boy. The boy brandished a large wrench over his head as he fell, and gave loud roar of anger as he pursued his target.

Eddy's Brother, Sarah and Doctor Andonuts quickly forgot their argument and ran toward the ensuing brawl.

**~γγγγγγ~**

"That's good, Ed! The fire department can take it from there."

Standing in front of a building that was still smoldering, Ed lowered his arms tentatively, choosing to trust his friend's judgement over his urge to put out the remaining flames. Edd called Jimmy over, telling him the same thing, and then spoke to both of them.

"Kevin has gone to check on his parents, as well as find out who or what caused all of this. I've sent Sarah, Doctor Andonuts and Eddy's Brother to assist him, and I ask that you two do the same."

Ed and Jimmy both put a hand up to their foreheads in salute, and the latter quickly turned to run toward the hill. Ed, however, hesitated. He moved closer to Edd, and said, "Be careful, Double-D." He pulled his friend into a tight hug.

Edd returned it, a bit confused by Ed's sudden concern at first, but he quickly realized why. This would be the first time they'd been far apart since they moved away from Peach Creek, not counting Edd's short time in the hospital. Edd hugged a little tighter.

"I'll be fine, Ed," he said. "You promise me you'll be careful as well."

Ed nodded, and with a smile he broke from his friend and ran to catch up to Jimmy.

**~γγγγγγ~**

Kevin screamed. He sailed through the air down the steep hill above Cherry Falls. He found the right moment to slam his wrench down upon his target. His weapon didn't hit flesh. It hit dirt instead. Helmy had dodged at the last second. Helmy had stood before Kevin's parents. Kevin's parents weren't moving. Helmy was still alive.

Kevin screamed louder.

The two landed. Trees surround them. Some were on fire. Kevin saw Helmy get to his feet. He gathered his PSI, gritting his teeth.

"PK Riding Gamma!"

For the second time that night, a wave of brilliant light and color exploded from the boy. Not to be caught off guard for the second time himself, Helmy quickly cast a psychic shield around him. The wave hit it, and only a fraction of the tremendous energy managed to seep through and knock Helmy into a tree behind him. Hiss shaded visor kept the light from blinding him, but he couldn't see anything through the colorful blast. This is what caused him to be caught off guard for the second time, as Kevin suddenly burst through the shield and slammed his wrench into Helmy's side. He flew through the air further down the hill, and Kevin chased after him.

The hill quickly became much less steep, and Helmy landed in a small patch of forest between the it and Cherry Falls. He quickly got to his feet, finding himself in a small clearing of the forest as Kevin approached. Smoke continued to blacken the sky above them, and part of the forest was alight with fire along with the town.

Kevin couldn't think. All he could focus on was the _thing_ in front of him, the terrible, horrible thing that didn't deserve to remain standing. To remain breathing. Kevin desperately wanted to send wave after wave of psychic blasts until he had decimated the thing, but something held him back. He paused for a moment as a memory played in his mind. It tethered him to a tiny spark of rationality that warned him what would happen if he let himself get consumed by his anger again.

Seeing a momentary lapse in his opponent's attacks, Helmy quickly conjured a large chunk of ice. He flung it at Kevin, but Kevin quickly snapped out of his thoughts. He brandished his wrench at the ice and smashed it into pieces. Kevin then swung his weapon at Helmy left and right, ignoring its weight and the horrible strain on his arms as he forced them to redirect its momentum back at his target.

Helmy found himself ducking and weaving to dodge every last blow, and took note of Kevin's mad, unblinking eyes. When Kevin made to strike one more time, Helmy whispered, "PK Flash."

The forest turned a greenish-white for an instant. Kevin fell to the ground, screaming and clenching his eyes shut. Helmy took the opportunity to stand over Kevin, where he drew his knife and held it high above his head. Gleaming in the light of a nearby fire, the knife whistled through the air as Helmy plunged it down.

_Clank!_

Helmy felt the knife jerk out of his grip, and he quickly jumped back to avoid a katana as it continued its path up toward his head. Eddy's Brother quickly struck again, forcing Helmy to dodge backward.

"Kevin, are you alright?"

Kevin heard a familiar voice. All at once, his mind turned back on. He breathed heavily. He forced his eyes open, though they still stung, and saw the face of Doctor Andonuts.

"M-my…" His voice was hoarse, and he babbled softly as he tried to remember what words to say. He felt sobs forming in his throat, and tried to choke them back down. "M-my p-p…"

"It's okay, get your bearings first." Doctor Andonuts turned around, and spectated the fight between Helmy and Eddy's Brother. It was intense, but short-lived. Helmy dodged a few of the man's sword strikes on his way to retrieve his knife. When he got close to it, he quickly cast another PK Flash. Eddy's Brother dropped to the ground, and Helmy delivered a sharp kick to his chest. The man writhed in pain, and Helmy picked up the knife.

More quickly than the last time, Helmy raised his knife into the air and struck at the man. The knife whirled through the air, then bounced off of something solid. A shield had appeared around Eddy's Brother, and Helmy quickly turned his attention back to Kevin and Doctor Andonuts. He charged at them, preparing to launch another psionic attack.

"Now!" the doctor suddenly screamed. The ground began to shake, and Helmy turned his head as he saw a fissure in the ground speeding toward him. On the other end of the fissure was Sarah.

"This is payback for last time!" she shouted. Helmy looked up, and quickly jumped high into the air. He grabbed onto a nearby tree branch, and the girl's attack harmlessly passed by underneath him.

For a moment, everything and everyone froze. Everything went quiet, save for the soft crackling of the fire burning a nearby tree. The silence was then broken with a loud _slap._

"Oh, come on!"

Helmy dropped down from the tree branch. Kevin had quickly revived himself and Eddy's Brother, and Sarah joined up with Doctor Andonuts. The four of them surrounded Helmy in the clearing.

Helmy widened his stance. A moment passed, and then everyone attacked.

**~γγγγγγ~**

Ed and Jimmy walked briskly up the hill. The former did so to slow down for the latter, who almost immediately ran out of breath when the incline became noticeably steep. Ed had offered to carry Jimmy on his shoulders, but the boy refused. Ed figured it was because of his stench, but he also felt an air of pride coming from Jimmy.

Walking alone with Jimmy for possibly the first time in his life, Ed realized that he really didn't know the boy all that well. Edd had been his friend since they were very young, and Ed had gotten to know Kevin well through their adventure together. Jimmy, however, had either been scared to talk to any of them very much, or too aloof and focused with _whatever_ was going on with his PSI to care. And speaking of his PSI…

"Hey Jimmy," Ed asked. Jimmy looked at him curiously. Ed quickly noticed the boy's eyes, how they seemed to sparkle with life instead of appearing glazed over like they used to. "Um, what happened back there? At the Boulder Mountain, with the whole Dark Jimmy monster thing?"

Jimmy's eyes widened in slight surprise, but he answered, "I… don't really know myself. Well, maybe I do. I know what I _did_, but not _why_ everything happened like that."

"Well, what do you know? When you first discovered your powers, you were really afraid of them. Then all of a sudden, you could use them, and you started getting really serious and quiet."

Jimmy took in a large breath. "Well, at first I was really afraid of the thought of having powers like you guys. I don't know why, really, but it was just kinda scary. I guess maybe I just thought I was supposed to be a regular, normal kid, and the thought of having power…" He shied his gaze away from Ed, and he continued, "Well, I remembered what I was like whenever I _did_ have power of some sort, like the time I framed you guys for giving me a wedgie, or when I had made that ice pop scam and had everyone else giving me their money. When I had power like that, I couldn't help myself with it. I did nasty things, looking back on it, and I don't want to do anything like them again.

"And yet, PSI is a different kind of power, now that I think about it. It can be used to heal, or put out fires, or even use fire to save someone's life. I think a part of me has always known that, but I was still afraid. When we got lost in the glaciers, though, something happened. When Kevin was hit and he flew though the air, I knew he'd die if he hit the ground. I was really, _really_ afraid, more afraid of that than my powers.

"That was when I heard a voice, something in my head telling me to melt the ice and save my friend. I suddenly felt my PSI going on its own, and before I knew what was going on, I saw fire bursting out of my hand. It was terrifying at first, but I kept hearing the voice, saying that it was my PSI itself. I trusted it, and relied on it to use my powers."

Jimmy huffed, and Ed found himself walking slower to let him keep up. After taking a moment to catch his breath, Jimmy continued, "That was when I started to go crazy. I thought the voice really was just my PSI, but now that I think about it, I think there was something else in there too. I stopped seeing PSI as that good, helpful kind of power—or maybe I just never saw it like that at all—and I saw it more like the power that drove me to do nasty things to people who angered me. That part of me started taking control of the voice, if the two were ever even different things to start with anyway. It made me want to use my—or _its_ power more and more, and made me feel great whenever I did.

"However, when I stopped using my powers, it made me feel angry. I didn't want to talk to anyone or try to figure out what we should do next or even play with Sarah." He lowered his head, and Ed saw him clench his eyes shut for a moment before he continued, "And then after we fought the giant wolf monster, you know what happened to me there."

His expression softened, and he let out a sigh. "I had nearly lost myself to the voice, nearly given in to the power it gave me. However, when Kevin brought Sarah, and I saw her face… I realized what I was doing. But the voice didn't want to stop, so I guess we split apart somehow.

"After that, I felt so light, like a heavy burden on my mind was lifted. But I also felt… well, _too_ light, like something was missing. I didn't care, though. I thought that my powers had always been evil, and they were slowly corrupting me since I first realized them. But in the Boulder Mountain, Doctor Andonuts told me that PSI was a part of me, and that I the only one that could control it. I wasn't sure whether or not to believe him, but I did want to stop it from hurting all of you. When I jumped into the Dark Jimmy monster thing, though, I realized that what he said was true. I accepted that the power was my own, that _I_ was responsible for using it correctly, and that I was meant to use them to help people."

A smile began to grow on Jimmy's face. "Now I can use my powers freely, without having to rely on a voice to use them for me. It's kinda hard to control just how much energy I throw into something now, but it's still better than it was before." He was beaming now, and he turned to Ed. "Thank you. It felt good to talk to someone about all this."

Ed smiled back, then gasped and pointed ahead of him. "We're here!" Kevin's house lay ahead of them. Its front door was ajar, and Jimmy gasped as he saw Kevin's bike abandoned carelessly on the lawn.

The two entered the house, Jimmy holding his golf club defensively and Ed balling his hands into fists, which he held close to his chest. Light poured into the kitchen from the back wall, which was almost completely decimated. There was no debris on the floor, save for the edges of the hole that were singed a little.

A glint caught Ed's eye, and he looked over at a nearby counter. He saw the sextant Adam had given them back at Pomegranate pool, dimly reflecting the light from the town beyond. He picked it up, and closed his eyes as it reminded him of Edd.

Jimmy jumped as he heard a cough. He and Ed looked on the floor, where they saw Kevin's parents. The two struggled to move as they tried to get to their feet. They each had welts on their heads and necks, but looked otherwise unharmed.

"Mister and Missus Kevin's mom and dad!" Ed knelt down to the two adults, and quickly poured energy into healing them. Jimmy quickly followed, and soon the couple regained enough strength to get on their knees.

"Y-you're Kevin's friends," Kevin's mother said.

"What happened here?" Jimmy asked.

"Helmy," Kevin's father wheezed. "The man in the motorcycle helmet that Kevin told us about. He appeared out of nowhere and started attacking the town. Before we could call you guys, he showed up at our house and knocked us out."

Kevin's mother turned around, and noticed the damage to the back wall. "Oh my god!"

"Kevin's probably fighting Helmy right now," Jimmy realized. "Come on, Ed! We gotta help him!" He stepped toward the hole in the wall, and judged how far it dropped off to the steep incline below. It was was a fair way down, but he gulped and leapt down toward the hill before anyone could object. He landed on the ground with a roll, and broke into a sprint down toward the forest below.

Ed made to follow, but Kevin's mother put a hand on his arm. "You don't have a weapon?" she asked. Ed shook his head, and she got to her feet.

"I have PSI," Ed uttered. Kevin's mother shook her head.

"Wait here for a minute. Kevin said that your powers can run out if you use them too much, and you simply must have a way to protect yourself without them."

She helped her husband to his feet, then quickly began to scour the remnants of the kitchen for something. Ed grew nervous as she watched her, switching his attention back and forth between her and Jimmy, who started to disappear amongst the trees. The seconds turned into a minute, then two, and Ed found himself dancing in place as he waited.

"Aha!" Kevin's mother grabbed hold of something, and presented it toward Ed. "I'm not sure why, but I think this would suit you. It feels right."

Ed grabbed hold of it, and he smiled. It felt very right indeed.

After thanking Kevin's parents, Ed leapt down the hill. He smiled to himself; he couldn't wait to show Helmy his new frying pan.


	56. Chapter 56

**Chapter 56**

* * *

"Okay Sarah, you can do this. Fifth time's the charm!"

The young girl watched closely at the battle in front of her. Kevin and Eddy's Brother swung their weapons back and forth at Helmy, who dodged and danced along the ground to avoid them. Doctor Andonuts knelt at the edge of the clearing, preparing what looked like a large bottle of soda with rocket fins attached to it. He activated a mechanism on the bottle and fire burst out from the bottom, launching it into the air. The doctor shouted something, and Kevin and Eddy's Brother quickly jumped away from Helmy. The bottle rocket slammed into a shield just before it could hit Helmy's head.

Sarah took that as her cue. She filled her hands with psychic energy and slammed them into the ground, creating a fissure that rocketed toward Helmy. She smiled to herself as she watched it pass by Kevin harmlessly.

Helmy noticed the fissure screaming toward him, and quickly muttered something. His shield changed color, going from a pale blue to violet. The fissure hit the edge of the shield and harmlessly split around it.

"Oh, come on!" Sarah screamed. "Just for once lemmie hit you with that!"

Eddy's Brother spared a moment to retort, "Can't you, oh, I don't know, DO ANYTING ELSE?"

Sarah clenched her teeth and rolled her hands into fists. She growled, focusing on the spot in her mind where she drew her energy from. The only thing she could think to shape it in was her ground attack. She let a defeated sigh and deflated. "…No."

"Guys! Help!" Sarah and Eddy's Brother suddenly looked to the side, where Helmy had pinned Kevin to the ground and was trying to stab his way past the boy's wrench. Kevin kicked him off, and Helmy rolled to the side as Kevin swung his wrench at him. Eddy's Brother ran back into the fray, but Sarah hesitated. She looked at her hands, which were bruised and muddy from slamming them on the ground so many times. She heard footsteps, and looked up to see Doctor Andonuts approaching her.

"Something's odd," the man said, watching Kevin and Eddy's Brother try to land a hit on their opponent. Sarah looked up at him as he continued, "The last time Kevin and his party engaged this man, he didn't hesitate to attack relentlessly, and with strong PSI at that. I don't doubt what Kevin told me, but if what he said is true, then Helmy seems to be holding back here."

Sarah looked over at the fight. Helmy did little in the way of attacking, mostly dodging Kevin and Eddy's Brothers attacks or parrying them with his knife. The only times he struck were to make one of them jump back so they wouldn't both attack him at the same time..

"Why do you think he's holding back?" she asked. "Other than to be a jerk?"

"I'm not sure," Doctor Andonuts replied, "but I don't like it."

Kevin's arms felt like they were on fire. His legs were threatening to give out and go limp, and his throat was dry from him breathing so heavily. Regardless, he kept fighting, brandishing his wrench at Helmy, using the image of his parents that was burned into his retinas to keep going. He swung left and right, up and down, but he couldn't hit the man. Eddy's Brother didn't have much better luck. Even though his weapon was considerably lighter, the man himself was bulkier and slower with it.

In the midst of the fray, Kevin heard a faint ringing noise. He instinctively dove to the side, expecting Helmy to launch a psionic attack at him or Eddy's Brother. He felt an intense cold pass over him, and scrambled to get to safety. When he looked up, however, he saw a familiar face.

Jimmy charged into the clearing, yelling and blasting a wide cone of frost from his hand. It slammed into Helmy, knocking him backward into a tree and freezing him to its trunk. However, some of the ice also grazed Kevin's back and knocked Eddy's Brother off his feet.

"Watch it, metal mouth!" Eddy's Brother screamed.

"S-sorry!" Jimmy called.

"Hey, leave Jimmy alone!" Sarah shouted. She made her way to Jimmy as Eddy's Brother got to his feet.

"Don't you tell me not to get mad at someone who nearly froze my ass in a block of ice!" the man shouted, walking toward Sarah and Jimmy.

Doctor Andonuts shifted his attention nervously between the three and Helmy. Kevin slammed his wrench into the ice welding the man to the tree, freeing him and presumably knocking the wind out of him. However, Helmy quickly rolled away to recuperate as Kevin made to attack him again. "Um…"

"Hey, it's your fault for not getting out of the way in time!"

"My fault?! The brat nearly froze the whole friggen forest with that attack!"

"You two…" Helmy got to his feet, and began attacking Kevin more aggressively than before.

"So he accidentally put in too much juice! Would you like it if he just healed Helmy instead?"

"Well at least maybe I'd get healed too if he's really that bad at aiming!"

"Quiet, both of you!" Doctor Andonuts stamped his foot on the ground. They turned toward him in shock as he opened up his coat and gathered something from the inside pockets. "All three of you, help Kevin and focus your energy on incapacitating Helmy!"

Taken aback by the man's sudden stern voice, Eddy's Brother and Sarah closed their mouths. Jimmy grabbed Sarah's hand, and the doctor threw a small object Helmy's way. It exploded immediately upon hitting the ground.

"GO!"

The three charged into the fray without another word.

**~γγγγγγ~**

"Is that everyone?"

"Rolf believes it is so!"

"Yeah, I think that's everyone, dude."

Edd scanned the building he and Doctor Andonuts had found, standing just outside along with Nazz and Rolf. It was filled to the brim with the residents of Cherry Falls who weren't putting out the remaining fires or working on damage control. He was surprised at how few adults helped the three of them in evacuating the town and getting people to safety. He had asked one of the calmer citizens about it, and they told him that the town didn't have many police or firemen. Edd didn't see how that was an excuse for a bunch of kids being the only ones to bother evacuating a burning town's worth of people to safety.

"Have you gotten any word from Kevin-boy or those you sent after him?" Rolf asked.

"None so far," Edd replied. "I believe he may be in trouble at this point."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Nazz asked. "Everyone here is okay. Now we should make sure our friends are too!" She turned toward the hill and sprinted down the street.

Rolf turned to follow her, but Edd spoke up behind him. "That's odd," the smart boy muttered.

"What's odd, Ed-boy?"

"Nazz was so vehemently adamant getting everyone to safety not a few minutes ago, and now she wants nothing more than to find out who's responsible?"

"Rolf has the feeling that she simply wants to help as many people as possible," Rolf said. Edd murmured to himself in thought, but then gave an approving grunt. He turned to her before she was out of earshot.

"Nazz, wait for us!"

Nazz slowed down, but impatiently ushered Edd and Rolf to the hill with her. As they approached the base of the small mountain, all three of them suddenly heard a loud blast. They looked at the forest between the hill and Cherry Falls, and saw a burst of frost and water spray up from it.

"This way!"

Nazz quickly changed course, and Edd let out an inward sigh of relief. Making absolutely sure that no one was looking, he looked at the massive hill and briefly stuck his tongue out at it before jogging to catch up with the others.

**~γγγγγγ~**

Jimmy clasped his hands together and focused. Frost covered the clearing, clinging onto the ground and trees alike. Helmy had taken the brunt of his PK Freeze with a psychic shield, and didn't seem worse for the wear as he dodged Kevin's attacks. He heard Eddy's Brother complain at him for covering the man in frost again, but Jimmy blocked it out. His hands began to sizzle, and sparks jumped all around them. He slowly parted his hands, and bolts of electricity formed between them. He let the energy build and build, seemingly without limit, and his hands began to glow brighter and brighter.

He focused hard on Helmy, watching his every move. When he felt he'd built up enough energy, he shouted, "PK Thunder Gamma!"

Jimmy thrust his hands out in front of him and watched as a torrent of electricity burst from his palms. The energy streaked and crackled toward Helmy at a blinding pace, and Jimmy smiled in triumph. To his horror, however, the electricity didn't travel in a straight line. It branched out along its path, and struck Eddy's Brother as well as Kevin. Jimmy screamed, trying his hardest to stop the attack but to no avail. Eddy's Brother crumpled to the ground and Helmy was thrown back. Kevin, however, was still standing. The electricity swirled around his forehead, causing his Franklin Badge to gleam in the light.

Before Jimmy could say another word, the electricity around Kevin's badge lashed back at him. The energy knocked Jimmy off his feet and singed his skin, surging through his body and into the ground.

"Jimmy!" Sarah screamed, running to comfort her friend.

"I—I told you, idiot!" Eddy's Brother shouted from across the clearing. "You're attacking all of us at once! At least dorkbag over here can control his powers!"

"I'm… I'm sorry!" Jimmy wheezed.

Sarah shouted at Eddy's Brother, then spoke softly to Jimmy. "Don't listen to him. He's just an angry jerk."

"But he's right," Jimmy said. "I don't know how to control my powers anymore." He curled up on the ground, and summoned the energy for PSI Lifeup. As he healed himself, he paid careful attention to how he controlled the flow of energy. Back when the Voice was around, it would allocate the right amount of power Jimmy needed for an ability, and then allow him to direct it. Now he access to all the power, and there was too much of it.

When he was fully healed, Jimmy slowly got to his feet with the aid of Sarah. Eddy's Brother slowly recovered from the ice, and once again assisted Kevin in attacking a very defensive Helmy.

"What is he waiting for?" Doctor Andonuts questioned. He heard something rustle through the bushes behind him, and he quickly turned around to see Edd approaching.

"Doctor Andonuts!" Edd called. Nazz and Rolf appeared into view behind him.

"Edd, Helmy is the one behind all of this," Doctor Andonuts explained.

"I figured that." Edd replied. He looked at Kevin and Eddy's Brother, and asked, "How long have they been fighting?"

"A good few minutes. For some reason, all that Helmy has done throughout the entire fight is dodge their attacks, making nothing but the weakest attempts to hurt them. I think he may be stalling for something, but I don't know what."

"Well, let Rolf teach this hooligan a lesson then!" Rolf brandished his giant trout, and jumped into the fray.

"I'll assist as well," Edd said. He moved toward the fight, but Doctor Andonuts held him back.

"Take a few of these," he said. He opened up his lab coat, revealing a myriad of explosive weapons lining his inner pockets.

"A-are th-those…?!"

"You're young and spry. You'll be able to use these more effectively than I can," the doctor explained. Seeing Edd hesitate, he quickly grabbed a handful of bombs and two bottle rockets and presented them to Edd. "Quickly! Your friends need you!"

At that, Edd grabbed the weapons, put them in his pockets and quickly turned his attention toward the fight.

"Dude," Nazz said. "Have you been carrying those things around all this time?"

The man smirked beneath his mustache. "I told the lot of them and I'll tell you; I'm not as old as I look."

Helmy leapt and danced through the air as three weapons madly swung around him, desperate to hit their mark. Kevin, Eddy's Brother and Rolf made little effort to coordinate their attacks beyond trying not to get in the other's way. Kevin was exhausted at this point, and swung his wrench slowly. Eddy's Brother was also beginning to tire out, but he managed to brandish his katana more quickly. Rolf had the heaviest weapon of all, and Helmy spent the most of his concentration avoiding it or using it as a springboard to leap away from other attacks.

One particular attack from all three of them at once forced Helmy to jump far away from them. When he landed on the ground, a small, round object rolled to his feet. He looked down at it just before the object violently exploded. Helmy flew through the air and slammed into a tree. Disoriented, he scrambled to his feet, and barely managed to dodge Kevin's wrench. He dove across the clearing to put as much distance between himself and his opponents as possible while he regained his bearings.

Helmy turned to see where he was going, but his vision was greeted by the sight of something crashing into his visor.

"SMAAAAASH!" Ed shouted gleefully. His frying pan struck Helmy hard, sending him flying back clear across the clearing. He slammed into a large boulder sitting a little into the forest, and fell down to his knees.

When they saw that he didn't make an effort to get back to his feet, everyone gathered and circled around him.

"Who are you?" Edd asked. "What do you want with us?" He looked to the side, and saw Kevin. The boy gripped onto his wrench so hard that his knuckles were a ghostly white, and he gritted his teeth as if he was forcing back a scream.

Helmy looked up at Edd. His visor was cracked, and his clothes were ripped and dirty. He slowly lifted up a limp hand, turning his head and scanning everyone around him.

His hand twitched, a ringing sound filled the air, and an intense glow filled the air. Before anyone could react, Helmy swept his arms apart and a tidal wave of fire launched out in an arc in front of him.

Everyone ducked as the inferno blasted out toward them. Jimmy screamed something, but his voice was drowned out in the roaring noise of the fire. Kevin dove to the ground and closed his eyes tight. He felt an intense heat wash over him. As quickly as it had come, the sound of fire began to vanish, and he heard a low boom in the distance.

A beat passed. Then another. The forest became silent.

Ed was the first to finally open his eyes. He uncurled from around Edd, who slowly rose to his feet. A red, glowing shield hung over everyone. Slowly, tentatively, it vanished as Jimmy stirred.

Everyone soon worked up the courage to open their eyes and stand up. The trees on one side of the clearing had been burnt to a crisp, but no flames remained. There was no sign of Helmy. However, an object lay on the ground where he had been knocked against the rock. Edd stood up, and carefully stumbled toward it. Everyone silently watched him kneel down and carefully put it in his hands. He stood back up, his back turned from everyone else, and didn't move.

A minute passed. A tense, choking air filled the area. Nazz finally worked up the courage to ask, "Wh-what did he leave behind?"

Edd turned around. His mouth was closed, his lips pressed together in a tight frown. His eyes were wide open, in a mixture of shock and exhaustion. He looked at Nazz, then at Ed, and then looked down at his hands. He walked forward, his steps shaken and uneasy. He gingerly pressed his fingers around the end of a small chain, and pulled it up off of his hand. Everyone's eyes widened as they saw something attached to the chain rise out of Edd's hand and unfold before them.

A wallet, light brown in color, dangled from the chain. Out of it slipped a picture, depicting a frustrated boy in formal attire. It fluttered gently to the ground, landing in front of Ed.

Ed dropped to his knees, and Edd cradled Eddy's wallet back into his hands.


	57. Chapter 57

**Chapter 57**

* * *

"M-Mom… Dad…"

Three figures stood in front of a house on top of a large hill. Morning sunlight poured through the front door from a large hole in the kitchen, illuminating Kevin's parents from behind as he stood before them. They smiled at him brightly.

"I—I thought you were…" Kevin felt his eyes water. He felt everyone standing behind him, bruised, battered and dirty from the fight earlier, but patiently quiet as he spoke. "I was so angry. I thought he—I didn't even check to make sure…"

Kevin's mother knelt down, embracing him in a gentle hug. "It's okay. We're fine, everyone's fine now."

Kevin smiled, gently grabbing her shoulder, and he let out a soft chuckle. "Sorry about the kitchen wall," he giggled.

"Oh, pfft." She stood up and waved a hand dismissively. "This house is cramped compared to our old one. Now we have an excuse to build a veranda or another room outward!"

"Don't get too excited," Kevin warned cheerfully, "once we're finished saving the world, I'm making everyone move back to Peach Creek."

Kevin's mother laughed, and his father looked at the group out on the lawn behind him. "Come inside, everyone!" he called. "Let's rest a little and let me hear your stories. I'm gonna publish a novel about all of this once it's over!"

Everyone filed into the house and Kevin's parents quickly got to work making sure there was a place for everyone to relax. Jimmy, Sarah and Rolf shared a couch in the living room. Eddy's Brother and Doctor Andonuts got into a conversation with Kevin's father in the kitchen while Nazz talked with Kevin's mother in the dining room. Kevin, Ed and Edd sat at the kitchen table, inspecting the wallet Edd had found.

"There's no doubt about it," Edd sighed. "It most definitely is Eddy's."

"How'd Helmy get ahold of it?" Kevin asked.

"You guys don't… think…" Ed's voice trailed off.

"That Helmy could possibly be Eddy?" Edd finished. "That would be impossible, short and simple. We all know that Eddy—

"…We all know what happened to Eddy, and not even PSI can reverse it."

"Still," Kevin said, "this does mean that he's connected with him somehow."

"He's connected with all of us," Edd added. "He attacked Cherry Falls and specifically targeted your parents, presumably to draw you or us out to face him for some reason. I'd even go as far as to say that this wallet is a Red Herring to throw us for a loop."

"It's working," Ed whispered.

Across the room, Eddy's Brother and Doctor Andonuts leaned against the kitchen counter while they talked with Kevin's father.

"You have a good soon with you," Doctor Andonuts praised. "A strong, thoughtful boy."

"I'd say otherwise, but I know how it is with parents," Eddy's Brother scoffed, ignoring the oncoming glare from Kevin's father. "I'm just wondering why you're so cool with letting a bunch of kids fight monsters and go around the world and junk unsupervised."

"Heh," Kevin's father chuckled, "I wonder that all the time myself. It's strange; as a parent, you want to protect your kids in any way possible. But at the same time, you need to expose them to a little danger, because they need to learn and grow on their own. My wife and I felt this about Kevin, that he'd actually be better off learning how to utilize his new talents and helping others with them." He looked around the kitchen and glanced into the rooms connecting to it, studying the near dozen people occupying the house. "Considering how many friends he's brought back with him, I'd say we didn't make the wrong choice."

"I wouldn't exactly call him a 'friend', but I've been around worse company. It's cute how angry he gets whenever I prod at him."

"I wouldn't call that cute," Doctor Andonuts deadpanned. "More like 'rational', as any human being would do."

"Yeah yeah, whatever."

Kevin's father smiled and folded his arms. "I can't help but wonder about you. Kevin told me that you originally came along with him to find Doctor Andonuts here and get some money from him."

"That's correct. Plus the aforementioned fun of picking on him."

"Yes, well, now that you've received payment, do you plan on sticking with him? I hear you lost your ship due to an unfortunate accident."

"You know what?" Eddy's Brother stole a quick glance at Edd, and said, "I think I'll stick around with them for a bit longer. Fighting shit with my crappy sword is pretty fun, and what better way to find stuff to fight then to do it under the pretense of saving the world?"

"That is sadistic and quite selfish of you," Doctor Andonuts said. "And yet, I find myself not expecting anything less."

"I feel honored that you know me so well from such a short time since we met."

"Alright, everyone!" Kevin stood up from the table, making sure he had everyone's attention from each room before he continued, "We're going to go up the mountain and continue our search there. Does anyone have something they'd like to do first?"

Sarah and Jimmy looked at each other from the couch, and stood up. "Actually," Jimmy said, "Sarah and I have been talking, and… um…"

"What is the matter?" Edd asked.

"Well, we were talking about the fight with Helmy," Jimmy stuttered. "Sarah realized that she only knows how to do one thing with her PSI, and I have trouble controlling mine now."

"So we decided that we should maybe stay behind for a bit," Sarah said. "I know how to control my powers and Jimmy knows lots of different moves. We can teach each other, and both be able to kick butt!"

"Quite a convenient tradeoff," Edd mused.

Kevin walked up to Jimmy, and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Are you sure you wanna stay behind?"

"Just for a bit." Jimmy smiled. "I need to relearn how to use my PSI, otherwise I'll probably end up hurting you guys with it more."

"You can say that again!" Eddy's Brother called from the kitchen.

"And I need to know what I can do with mine," Sarah added. "So the next time a certain someone's stupid brother calls one of us out, I can just freeze his stupid mouth!"

Eddy's Brother stuck his tongue out at the two, earning him a backhand to the side of the head from Kevin's father. Kevin smirked lightly at the scene, then turned back to Jimmy. "Well, I guess we'll be alright without you, but it'll be harder against some of the stronger enemies we've come across. We still have a lot of fighting power with Rolf, though."

"Uh…" Rolf fidgeted on the couch, shying his gaze away from Kevin. "As much as Rolf would like to help Kevin on his adventure, this attack on Kevin's hometown makes Rolf worried for his own. If that's alright, he means…"

Kevin sighed. "Oh, it's okay, dude. Like you said before, you need to protect your people first." Kevin looked over at his parents, and said, "Although, I can't leave home knowing that Helmy—whoever he is—knows where my parents are, and that they're living unprotected." He turned to Rolf, Jimmy and Sarah, and asked, "What do you say to you taking them and Sarah and Jimmy back to the Old Country? Between the three of you, I'm pretty sure that you'll be able to handle Helmy, at least for long enough to call us and have us help."

Rolf smiled. "The Son of a Shepard would be honored to guard his friend's previous-of-kin."

"I'd love to go back to Rolf's home!" Jimmy squealed. "Me and Sarah can fly kites there while we teach each other!"

Kevin smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. I'll drop you three off with my parents at Rolf's place, but first I need your help to find the next Sanctuary."

Kevin, Ed, Edd, Jimmy, Rolf, Eddy's Brother, Nazz, Sarah and Doctor Andonuts exit Kevin's house, saying a fond farewell to his parents. They all lined up and braced themselves as Kevin broke into a sprint down the hill with them following behind. In a flash of light, they disappeared from the hill and reappeared on the mountain a few miles away.

Kevin led them through the tunnel where he'd first encountered the giant, white snake, and he insisted on his method of walking his bike backward in case something else came through.

"I'm starting to notice a pattern here," Edd said as they walked through the tunnel. "Essentially every one of these sanctuaries has been guarded by some powerful entity or other. This one by an abnormally large snake, the second one by Miss Truckdresser, the third by the Starmen and their tower, the fourth by a monolithic ice beast, and the fifth by none other than an enemy of Rolf''s village, mutated by some force into growing to an enormous size."

"It is yet another similarity between your world and mine," Doctor Andonuts explained. "The sanctuaries on my planet were all guarded by strong creatures as well. When there is an abundance of 'evil' PSI about on a planet, it can distort the natural energy that radiates from the planet's sanctuaries. This distorted energy can cause any creatures or people nearby to become corrupt. They begin feeding off of it, staying close to the sanctuary and ferociously guarding it against any and all who may take the power away from them."

"Do they do that if there isn't evil PSI in the air or something?" Nazz asked.

"Not to my knowledge. While the sanctuaries are guarded by violent creatures during times of strife, they protect themselves through other means in times of peace. Have you ever wondered why nobody seems to have discovered these wondrous places until just now?"

"Huh, now that you think of it," Kevin mused. "I did find it kinda weird that they'd build towns near sanctuaries but never turn them into tourist attractions or anything."

"That's because they normally appear hidden to those who would exploit them. To most people, they're either sealed off by natural barriers or appear as unremarkable places to those who manage to get to them regardless. Sometimes a sanctuary can even change places, with a new one emerging somewhere free from interference and the old one losing its 'magic', so to speak.

"However, they are much more lenient and open when the earth is threatened in some way, which is why they've revealed themselves to the likes of us. They still hide from those with negative power and emotions, despite how they use such power to protect themselves, but they also respond well to positive energy."

The group found their way to the other side of the cave and marveled at the Crystal Clearing. Kevin inhaled the crisp, fresh air, remembering the wonderment and tranquility he had felt the first time he discovered the place. The sun barely poked over the ring of stone surrounding the area, causing the crystal flora on the western side to shimmer.

Kevin led everyone forward toward the lake. He crossed it to find the island where he'd found the first piece of mirror, and beckoned them to follow. Everyone did so, trudging the water reluctantly. Their clothes dried almost instantly when they got out, however, and everyone made it to the island in good spirits. Wordlessly, Ed, Kevin, Sarah, Jimmy, Edd, and Doctor Andonuts sat in a circle and joined hands. Nazz, Rolf and Eddy's Brother waited beside them as they closed their eyes and concentrated.

Kevin would have been used to the feeling of his senses expanding all around him. He would have just gotten the slightest bit comfortable with it if it wasn't for the fact this time he almost immediately felt an icy darkness drape around his mind. He judged by everyone else's gasps that they felt it as well. The entire continent seemed to be covered in a black haze, thicker and colder than the first time Kevin had felt it. It tugged on Kevin's consciousness, pulling it away from his body and threatening to cast it into the freezing void. Edd and Doctor Andonuts acted quickly to divide the world up, and everyone quickly focused their perception to somewhere away from the darkness.

"What do you think the black stuff is?" Sarah asked.

"I have a hunch," Doctor Andonuts uttered, "but I'm afraid to say it. Whatever it is, it's spreading quickly. We should find the next two sanctuaries before it's too late."

Minutes passed. No matter how pretty it all looked, staring at the crystals wasn't enough to hold Eddy's Brother's attention. He groaned, breathing the last of his patience out into the sky. "Come on, already!" he whined, "How long does it take to find a stupid light or something, however you described it?"

"It''s harder than it looks," Edd muttered, refusing to open his eyes. "You have to learn to use an entirely new sense. It's hard enough convincing my mind that it isn't in danger of bursting at any second, even though it very well could be."

"Do _you_ wanna try it?" Kevin asked condescendingly.

"You know what? I think I will." Eddy's Brother sat on the ground and shoved his way between Edd and Doctor Andonuts. They grunted in annoyance as he forced their hands apart and joined them with his own.

The man immediately felt his awareness explode outward. Countless miles of landscape and space were forced into his conscious perception. An enormous pain erupted in his head. His eyes shot open. "GAAAH!" he screamed, breaking the link and falling backward. "GAH—NHG… GUH! GAH! HEADACHE!… GAAAAAAAAAH!"

As he continued to writhe on his back and make unintelligible grunts of pain, Edd chuckled. "To be fair," he whispered to Doctor Andonuts, "not only wasn't he prepared to experience what it felt like, but he joined in midway after we all had eased into it. I don't think any of us would be able to stand having it come all at once like that."

"Shh."

The searched continued, and Eddy's Brother made a point to sit behind Nazz and Rolf, furthest from the ring of people. Nobody said a word, but those in the seance all knew what the other was thinking. They couldn't find any sanctuaries from where they were. Even though they could perceive the whole earth's surface geographically, the signs of life and power faded the farther away from Cherry Falls they looked. The lights became faded and blurred, as if the whole planet was starting to get covered in the black haze.

"Maybe we should move to a different place," Kevin whispered to Doctor Andonuts.

"Let's try something first," the man replied. He gently broke away from Kevin's grip and reached into his pocket. He pulled something out and linked hands again. Kevin felt something small and round in the man's hand.

"What're you holding?"

"It's called a Brain Stone. It is said to help one think and use their brain to its full capacity."

Kevin felt the Brain Stone against his palm, smooth yet faceted. It didn't seem very mystical to him, but he sucked in a breath of air and concentrated back on the search. He gasped as he felt the entire planet suddenly glow around him. Places far away across the globe from him were no longer just little dim, blurry stars. They shone crisply and sharply from one another, piercing through the haze as if it wasn't even there. Kevin quickly scanned as much as he could, feeling his thoughts become clear and organized. The most obscure memories presented themselves to him as clear as daylight, and from a slight glance at a world map one Tuesday morning in geography class, he found himself naming nearly every country and city he passed by.

He eventually found Mangosteen Isle on the Atlantic ocean, and something pulled his attention south. A ways south, on the other side of the equator was another island, one of the few places he couldn't remember a name to. On it shone a brilliant light, just like the one they sat in.

"I found it!" Kevin exclaimed. He broke from the chain, and everyone opened their eyes.

"Where is it?" Edd asked.

"It's on an island somewhere." He sprang to his feet in excitement. "I could point it out on a map if we had one."

"Let's go back to your parents, then."

**~γγγγγγ~**

"…Cocona Atoll?"

Kevin, Ed, Edd, Nazz, Eddy's Brother and Doctor Andonuts all stood around the kitchen table, looking at an old map sprawled out on top of it.

"That's the one. I'm sure of it," Kevin said.

"It's quite a ways south of the equator. The map says it's uninhabited. Do we even have a way of getting to it?" Edd asked.

"If I had my _ship_, which _someone_ sank into the _ocean_..." Eddy's Brother slapped Kevin on the head, but Kevin made no move to retaliate.

"We are all very sorry about your vessel," Edd said. "I am anyway. I'm sure that when this is all over, we can do something to help you purchase a new one."

"Or I could just get a few extra hundred thousand from mister doctor inventor." Eddy's Brother raised his eyebrows at Doctor Andonuts, and both he and Edd put on disapproving looks.

"I used that machine to help you all on your adventure, not to print money for you to spend on luxury."

"And besides," Edd said, "I doubt we'd find someone who'd sell us a seaworthy boat in a timely manner. Time is of the essence here, as we can apparently only find one sanctuary at a time and our area of search is beginning to shrink. We can't afford to dilly-dally anymore."

"Not to worry," Doctor Andonuts said, "I can simply fix up my Skyrunner and fly us all there! As I said before, it'll take but a few hours."

"Well," Kevin said, "we have to go back to Rolf's place anyway." He to his parents, and asked, "Will you two be okay leaving the house for a bit?"

"You plan on relocating us for our safety, as your friend told us," his mother said.

"Yeah, I just don't want Helmy to attack you guys again."

"Well, if we are going to a foreign country, we'll need to pack some stuff," Kevin's father said.

"How much time do you need?"

"Not much more. We've already packed a little since you went off to do your search, and I also managed to find this." Kevin's father handed Kevin a small device. He inspected it, and saw that it was an old cell phone.

"You're giving me a phone?" Nazz suddenly perked up from across the room.

"I wouldn't call it a phone," Kevin's mother said. "Not totally, anyway. It's an old one of mine. It can't make calls, but for some reason it can still receive them. We'll be able to call you at any time if we get in trouble."

Kevin took the phone gingerly, and a smile appeared on his face. He turned around to face everyone in the living room. "Alright, everybody line up behind me!"

It felt strange to Kevin, teleporting when he knew that his parents were following him this time. He felt a rush of excitement, pride, and also a little embarrassment as he ran forward out the front door and heard everyone's footsteps following behind him. He turned sharply and soared down the road, making sure that everyone else did so as well. Before he got up to speed, he looked at the sky and smiled. The sun was a quarter way up in the sky now, and the air was clear from smoke.

As he reached speed and teleported, the sky was suddenly replaced with a flash of light. When it died down an instant later, he was greeted with the sight of orange and yellow clouds. "Love that," he chuckled to himself. He turned around to see that everyone had made it behind him, though his parents had crashed into Rolf and Eddy's Brother.

Rolf led the party from there, showing Kevin's parents, Sarah and Jimmy several points of interest as he made his way to his family's house. When they got there, Kevin gave each of his parents a firm hug, and then turned to Jimmy and Sarah.

"You two take care of each other," he said.

"We will," Jimmy replied. "Try not to get your butts kicked without me!"

"It won't be easy, but I think we'll manage." He turned to teleport away, and Ed squeezed the two young children in a large bear hug before joining him.

Kevin, Ed, Edd, Eddy's Brother, Nazz and Doctor Andonuts arrived near the Boulder Mountain to see the doctor's ruined flying machine in its crater. Doctor Andonuts quickly ran to it, searching through the wreckage for something.

"Oh my," he said, searching harder and more frantically.

"What's wrong?" Edd asked.

"My Skyrunner is able to fly due to a critical component that I swiped from Porky's arsenal," he replied. "I can't fix the machine without it, and it seems to be missing. He must've came here some time after we left and swiped it." He stood up from kneeling on the ground and grunted. "That darn boy may seem like an idiot, but damned if he isn't crafty."

"What will we do now?" Edd asked.

"I'm not sure."

"Can't you just teleport us to the stupid island?" Eddy's Brother asked Kevin.

"No," Kevin said simply. "I can only teleport to somewhere I've already been to, and even then it has to have a memorable landmark or something for me to visualize to get there."

"Wait a sec," Nazz said. "Didn't you say that the island was close by to Mangosteen?"

"Are you suggesting we go there?" Doctor Andonuts asked.

"Yeah! It's a port town, and close to Cocona Atoll too. I'm sure we could find someone who'd give us a ride there."

"And we'll see Stephen again," Ed smiled.

Kevin prepared to teleport as everyone lined up behind him. However, he saw Doctor Andonuts kneeling back down before the wreckage of his Skyrunner. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, sorry." The man got to his feet. "I was just reminiscing a little. The Skyrunner was one of my most successful inventions—difficulty to land not withstanding—and the first iteration of it that I made back on my home planet proved to be very helpful to my son and his friends on their journey. I myself haven't seen Jeff in a long time now, so it saddens me a little to see my invention wrecked like this, makeshift replica or no."

Kevin waited reverently as the man slowly walked to the back of the line behind him. With a curious glance at the Skyrunner, he broke into a sprint and the six of them teleported away.


	58. Chapter 58

**Chapter 59**

* * *

"Figures," Eddy's Brother spat.

The island of Mangosteen was dark and wet, draped in sheets of rain illuminated dimly by streetlamps and a nearby lighthouse. Wind blew water around from all angles, soaking everybody in almost an instant as they slowed down from their psionically-induced sprint.

Edd looked around as everyone hustled to get underneath something for shelter. Most of the buildings around them were houses, dark and uninviting, but one stood out: The Botollum Theater. It was light up brightly in the rain, and a cheerful open sign hung in the window. "In there!" he called over the lightly roaring wind.

The six filed into the theater, nearly sopping wet and freezing. The building was small but very warm. The floor was made of stone, clearly meant to handle soaked boots and lots of water and grime without rotting, but the walls were a lavish shade of crimson. A ticket man standing behind a podium before the door greeted them all with a smile.

"Welcome to the Botollum Theater," he greeted. "You're just in time for our 9 o'-clock show!"

"Sorry, we just came to escape from the rain," Edd said. "Could you point us to an inn or hotel we could stay in?

"Ah." The man turned the slightest bit crestfallen. "There's an inn just a few blocks down the street from here. Though, are you sure you don't want to see the show? The Phase Five is the best band this side of the Atlantic!"

Ed gasped, and a large smile grew on his face. "Stephen's in that band!" He turned to Kevin and grabbed his shoulders, shaking him lightly. "Can we go see him?"

"Alright alright!" Kevin gently pushed the boy away and smiled. "He did ask us to see a show the next time we stopped by. He might even have a ship we could take." He stepped forth to the podium and the ticket man smiled back at him.

"That's a nice badge you got there," the man said as Kevin rummaged around in his pocket. "Don't see much metalwork like that around here anymore."

Kevin pulled out his gold card. "Thanks. It was a gift from a friend of mine." Doctor Andonuts smiled warmly as the man slid the card through a receiver and printed out six tickets.

"The theater is to your left."

Everyone filed into the theater room and found their seats. Like the rest of the building, it was small and sturdy. The chairs were simple, made more to withstand soaked and dirty patrons than to look good, and the whole place smelled of seawater.

"What are we doing here again?" Eddy's Brother whispered to Edd.

"I'm not sure," Edd replied. "I just wanted to get us out of the rain."

The lights suddenly went out, and everything grew black. A spotlight appeared on the stage, illuminating a lone figure in the center.

"Hello again, Mangosteen Islanders!" he announced. "After a hard day's work, there's no better way to relax and unwind than to listen to the smooth sounds of the Phase Five!"

As he spoke, five figures came into view behind him, hidden in shadow. The spotlight on the announcer turned off, and he seemed to disappear as five more spotlights turned on behind him. Each spotlight illuminated a man, each one with different instrument. Ed recognized Stephen Reichison in the center, sitting behind a keyboard, and smiled. Beside Stephen was a drummer, an upright bass player, an electric guitarist and a marimba player.

The band began to play, and the room filled with music. Everyone felt themselves warming up as an upbeat melody surrounded them. Ed swayed back and forth in time with the beat, and managed to get Kevin, Edd and Nazz to dance in their seats with him. Doctor Andonuts closed his eyes and inhaled, as if reliving a nostalgic memory, and Eddy's Brother tried to look aloof and disinterested. After the chorus, the lights around everyone except for Stephen dimmed, and Stephen began to play a keyboard solo. He played a short, simple melody over and over, and after a few beats, the marimba player joined in while the bass player played a bassline underneath. The piano and the marimba started out playing perfectly in sync with each other, but soon they started to drift apart. The first note that the piano played became the second note that the marimba did, and the melody created chords as it was offset more and more by the two instruments. The drums came in when the two melodies were halfway apart, and the song continued until they went back in sync with each other. When they joined back together, they played one final part and the song came to a close.

The audience clapped and cheered, and the four children gave a standing ovation. Stephen and his bandmates bowed, and when they came back up, the man noticed the kids in the back and gave a wide smile.

The band exited the stage, and everyone in the theater slowly got up to leave. As Kevin and the others stood in line, a security guard walked up to them.

"Excuse me," he said, "Mister Reichison has requested to see you five backstage with him."

Kevin smiled. "Okay. Oh, can we bring him along too?" He gestured toward Doctor Andonuts, who gave a polite nod.

"If he's with all of you, then yes." The guard led the six to another door, and stood by it as they filed in.

The door led to a small room where the band members were putting away their instruments and chatting amongst themselves. Stephen put his keyboard away quickly in its case, and smiled warmly at Kevin.

"You're all back!" he said. He looked at each one of them, and his smile faded a little. "Well, most of you anyway. Where's the young boy with the blue shirt?"

"You mean Jimmy?" Kevin asked. When the man nodded, he said, "He's not with us this time. He's back home doing something important."

"Ah." Stephen turned his attention to Doctor Andonuts, and asked, "And who is this?"

"You know that mystery man we told you about who left all the letters and stuff?" Kevin asked.

"That would be me," Doctor Andonuts finished, shaking Stephen's hand.

"Something tells me that I shouldn't be too surprised if you have a good story to tell me of what happened since you left," the man said. "Shall we do it over food again?"

"Maybe next time," Edd said. "Right now we need to find a ship that can take us to Cocona Atoll, and we figured we could find one here."

Steven sucked in through his teeth and scrunched his eyebrows together. "You should ask around, but I wouldn't get my hopes too far up. This storm is one of the largest we've had in a long while, and the only ships willing to brave it will most likely have something very important to do."

"When was the last time you had weather this bad?" Nazz asked.

"A few years ago, back when I was a sailor. I used to sail in bad weather all the time, so this storm would be nothing if I still had my sea legs."

"What's keeping you from sailing now?" Edd asked.

The man looked to the side and frowned. "It's a long story, involving my father and a severe metal shortage this island had a few years back."

"Alright, well I guess we'd better get looking then," Kevin said. He deflated a little, adding, "We should probably go back and get some warm clothes or something, though."

"I know a place where we can get some good rain coats," Stephen said. "I'll show you how to get there." He picked up a strap going around his keyboard case and hoisted it around his shoulders. After saying a quick goodbye to his band members, he lead everyone out of the building.

The storm had gotten worse since Kevin and the others entered the theater. The sky was blackened by the lights below and rain poured down from above. Luckily for everyone, Stephen led them through a path underneath the overhangs of buildings and through alleyways that caused as little rain as possible to fall on them. The wind blew fiercely by, and it made Kevin vaguely wonder how his parents were doing already. He reached into his pocket and smiled as he felt the cellphone safe and dry inside it.

The seven came across a small clothing shop and Stephen quickly ushered them inside. Kevin used his card to buy a thick rain coat for everyone, though Eddy's Brother placed down some money of his own on the counter.

"I'll pay for my own," he grunted as the clerk took the money and gave him change. Edd watched curiously as Kevin took in a deep breath, but otherwise didn't seem to react to the man.

When everyone got a coat (and Ed finished gleefully testing his out by running around in the rain), Stephen made to leave.

"Good luck finding a ship," he said. "I'm sorry I couldn't be of more help." He left the building, and quickly disappeared into the storm.

Kevin and the others headed down toward the port. Though most of it seemed closed down, there were a few ships preparing to head to sea around them.

"Let't split up and ask these guys for a ride," Eddy's Brother proposed. "The sooner we get a boat, the better."

"For once, I agree," Kevin said. "We'll meet back up at the restaurant once we find someone."

Everyone split up and headed to a different ship.

**~γγγγγγ~**

"Sorry," a large bearded man told Edd, "but we've got to make this delivery no matter what."

Edd cocked an eyebrow at a stack of large boxes on the port as the ship's crew loaded them onto the vessel. He squinted to see the labels on them, and cocked an eyebrow.

"Trout Yogurt?"

"Yep. Got a big order from some rich folk next continent over."

Edd grimaced. "That sounds comparable in deplorableness to anchovy paste."

"Hey, I don't make the stuff. I just ship it overseas."

Edd looked back at the crates, and grimaced again. "Why on earth would they ever order so much of it though?"

The man put a gloved hand on Edd's shoulder. Without an air of seriousness, he announced, "You'll understand when you're older."

"…Wh-what?"

**~γγγγγγ~**

"Do I look like I run a taxi to you?" a stout woman scolded Nazz. She reached into a large, disheveled pile of boxes and plucked on out from the bottom, nearly causing the rest of them to fall over. "I've got a very important shipment to make." She carried it aboard a large ship, stumbling as a gust of wind hit her.

"W-well, can I at least help you out a little?" Nazz looked around, and added, "I don't know why your crew isn't helping you out."

"Don't got one." The woman stepped back onto the pier and bent down to pick up another create. She strained to move it out from underneath the rest, and continued, "I don't—_hnng_-need no help to do me job!" S

he heaved and pulled the box loose, only to stumble backwards toward the edge of the pier. Nazz quickly sprang forward and grabbed her before she tipped over.

"Let go of me!" the woman snapped, pushing Nazz away with her elbow.

"Sorry, but you were—"

"I said I don't need help, so don't help me!" the woman huffed, shooing Nazz back with her foot. That caused her to loser her balance, and she fell into the pile of boxes. Nazz gasped as the crates fell on top of her, but before she could think to rush toward it she heard the woman shout, "Dagnabbit!" The lady popped out from underneath the crates and looked at Nazz. "What are you still doing here?"

"I—"

"I told you that I'm not a taxi and I don't need your help!"

"Okay, fine!" Nazz huffed. "I'm leaving!" She turned around, and as she did she heard the woman pick up another crate and step onto the ramp leading up to her ship. A large gust of wind blew past, and Nazz heard a loud yelp behind her followed by a splash.

"I'm fine!" The woman shrieked. Nazz wanted to turn around, but forced herself to keep walking away when she heard a shrill, "Don't you dare come back!". She then heard more splashes behind her, followed by what sounded like the snapping of teeth. "Augh! Away with you foul beasts!"

Nazz walked away faster as she heard several audible punches and kicks among the splashes, gritting her teeth and squinting. She heard the woman's grunts become more triumphant and confident until suddenly a flash of light exploded from behind, and a cloud clap of thunder rushed past her. All of the splashing sounds ceased.

Upon hearing a faint, "Hah! You'll have to do better than that!" Nazz broke into a sprint away from the pier.

**~γγγγγγ~**

"Ugh, get your disgusting wet feet away from my beautiful ship!" Eddy's Brother had barely opened his mouth to speak before the posh, thin man standing in front of a lavish yacht shooed him away.

"Dude, you didn't even let me—"

"Go away, you smell horrible." Eddy's Brother gave his armpit a curious whiff as the man crossed his arms and closed his eyes. Barely a second later, he opened them again and grimaced. "What are you still doing here? Get your filth away from me before I—"

Eddy's Brother hawked a wad of spit just under the man's eye, and walked away satisfied as he reveled in the neurotic outcry that followed.

**~γγγγγγ~**

"Sorry, dude, but we're going to be riding waves all night." Doctor Andonuts eyed the long-haired man in front of him, as well as his large sports boat. He could barely see the man's eyes from behind his messy, blonde locks. "You see, my buddies and I like to ride waves in this baby, and this storm's like totally perfect for it."

"I get the concept," the doctor replied. "But could you maybe ride the waves with a few extra passengers to an island down south?"

"Like, sorry dude," the man replied. "We'd get in, like, so much trouble if an old man got hurt riding with us, so—"

"I assure you that you won't have to worry about our safety," Doctor Andonuts interrupted. "That will be a nonissue."

"I don't know," the man replied, stroking some stubble on the end of his chin. "What if you had like a heart attack or something? These waves are pretty intense."

"I know that!" the stout man huffed. "Just don't worry about me, alright?"

"Okay, but…" the man paused, seeming to stare into space for a moment. "We'd get in, like, so much trouble if an old man got hurt—"

"I'm not old!" Doctor Andonuts stomped on the pier and threw his hands into the air. "I'm albino!"

"Isn't that like a disease or something?"

Fuming, Doctor Andonuts opened his lab coat and pulled out two bottle rockets in his hands. "I know how to use these! If there's anything trying to kill me, I can just BLOW IT UP!"

**~γγγγγγ~**

"Um, excuse me," Ed said sheepishly, "do you think you could help us get to Cocona Atoll?" He waited patiently, but got no answer.

Eddy's Brother noticed him from down the pier, and walked toward the boy in curiosity. "Uh, you do know that's a seagull," he said. Ed broke his gaze from the bird, and looked back and forth between it and Eddy's Brother.

"Oh."

**~γγγγγγ~**

"Hey, you're that Durian Delivery guy." Kevin shifted his gaze from the stout man in front of him to a tiny rowboat in the water. The man was lowering himself into the boat from the pier, and sat with a single parcel sat on his lap. "Is your ship farther out or something?"

The Durian Delivery man looked up at Kevin. Kevin looked into the man's eyes, and a shiver went up his spine. He was staring into two pools of pure oblivion.

"No."

The man rowed out into the storm, and Kevin never saw him again.

**~γγγγγγ~**

"Well, that went about as well as expected."

Eddy's Brother and the others sat in the small diner they had eaten in last time, each one coddling a hot meal as they dried off.

"Double D," Kevin said, "do you think you and Doctor Andonuts could make a boat or a plane yourselves? You both made flying machines on your own, after all."

The Doctor and the boy sitting next to each other exchanged glances, and Edd said, "I suppose we could, but it'll take a lot of time and materials. I was able to scrap together that airplane and your glider because I had a lot of time and good resources to work with. Plus, back then it was either only myself or just three of us. To build something that could carry everyone would be substantially harder. Not only that, but this storm is stated to be covering the whole space between here and Cocona Atoll. It would be over in the time it would take to design and construct a vessel that could whether it, and if we want to find the LAST sanctuary after this one before the entire globe gets covered in that black haze, then time is of the essence."

Everyone at the table seemed to deflate, and they ate their meals in silence. The door to the restaurant opened, and a man took a seat near everyone.

"No luck, I'm guessing?" Stephen Reichison asked. "It is both a curse and a blessing to live on such a small island. It's hard to find who you need, but easy to find who you know."

"Especially when you need them to lend you a ship in the middle of the storm of the century," Edd sighed.

"I got to spit on a rich dude," Eddy's Brother stated proudly, "but I couldn't snag his boat."

"Well, once the storm is over, then it should be plenty easy to find someone."

Edd's gaze fell to the table. "But by then it might be too late."

Ed sighed, and put his hands in his jacket pockets. He perked up, as he felt something smooth and metallic in his right hand. He pulled it out, and looked at it under the table. It was the sextant. He gasped; he had put it in his pocket when he found it at Kevin's house, and forgot to give it back to Kevin's parents.

Ed looked at the sextant under the table, and then looked at Stephen. A sense of familiarity washed over him, and he suddenly found himself feeling his senses warp around him.

_"Now be careful with that. It is a tool, not a toy."_

_"But it's so shiny!"_

Ed stood up, pushing the table forward and knocking his chair back.

"Whoa, Ed, what's the matter?" Kevin asked.

"Mister Stephen," Ed asked, holding up the sextant. "Is this yours?"

Stephen's eyes widened. "Is that…" He reached out a hand, and Ed dropped the device carefully in it. The man inspected the sextant carefully, examining each piece in the dim light above. "These markings… this color…" His mouth hung open, and he uttered, "This looks just like my father's sextant. B-but that's impossible, it was—during the Mangosteen Metal Crisis, they took it, and…"

He looked at Ed with a spark in his eye. "Where did you get this?"

"From the place where dead things go," Ed replied.

"Is that really your sextant?" Edd asked.

"My father gave it to me when I was a little boy," Stephen breathed. "It inspired me to become a sailor, but they took it and smelted it down because of a dire metal shortage, and…"

A smile grew on his face. He let out a joyful chuckle, and held the sextant up to the light. He beamed, tinkering with the device and inspecting it closely. Everyone else barring Eddy's Brother went with the moment and smiled with him. However, Stephen continued to smile wider and wider, and his chuckles became more and more frequent. "Heh… heh, heh, ahah, ha! Ahaaa! AHAAHAHAAHAHA!" He stood up, cackling like mad, and before anyone could say anything he dashed out of the diner with the sextant in tow.

The six sat at the table, their mouths agape.

"Uh, what did we…?"

"That just happened," Eddy's Brother deadpanned. After a second, he chuckled, and then broke into laughter of his own.

Ed sat back down, defeated. "S-sorry, guys. I just—it was his, and the first time I saw him I think I felt that, and I asked if he was dead because the sextant…"

"It's okay, Ed," Nazz comforted. "You didn't know it would… do that, to him."

"Well, we're back to square one," Kevin sighed. "If we ever even got past it in the first place."

"I can probably build something that could whether this storm in a timely manner," Edd said, "but only if it was small and compact. We could theoretically take you there, and you could teleport us."

"That would still take a long time, though," Doctor Andonuts sighed.

"Well, it's better than nothing," Kevin said. "Let's see if we can find any spare—"

Everyone suddenly heard the sound of the restaurant door slamming open and a sharp blade sliding out of a scabbard. They looked at the door to see Stephen Reichison. He was dressed in a thick pirate's outfit, and he held a scimitar triumphantly before him.

"You won't be needing to look for a ship anymore!" he called. His voice was tinged with excitement and enthusiasm, a stark contrast to the calm and somewhat dull air it had before. "I've got my sailing spirit back!"

The man ran into the restaurant and jumped on the table, raising his sword high in the air with one hand and clutching the sextant with the other. "Well, are you all coming along or not? Time's a wasting, and I don't want to miss any of this beautiful storm!"

Everyone just stared at the man, their mouths once again frozen open in shock. Kevin blinked, and the next thing he knew, he and the others were standing on the bow of a large boat docked to the pier. He felt Edd gently put a hand underneath his chin to close his mouth.

"Are you all going to stay like that and stare," Stephen called at them from across the ship, "or are you gonna help shove out?"

Kevin and the others snapped out of their trance, and walked across the ship. Stephen's band mates ran about, preparing the vessel for its first voyage in years.

"E-excuse me," Edd said to the marimba player as he passed by, "d-did we… Erm, was Mister Reichison… a-always like that? Well, erm… is he well?"

The man chuckled. "Don't worry about it. The man was always a bit crazy, but when they took his father's prized sextant during the Mangosteen Metal Crisis, it broke his spirit in half. It's nice to see him back to his normal self after so long."

Stephen darted around the ship, helping his band mates make preparations and muttering excitedly to himself. Ed adopted a similar attitude, eventually dragging Edd along with him.

After a few minutes, Stephen called to raise the anchor, and the Ship For A Small Crew sailed off into the Atlantic.


	59. Chapter 59

**Chapter 59**

* * *

"And that's pretty much what happened."

Kevin and the others sat on comfortable bunk beds in a small cabin room with Stephen Reichison. The room frequently shook and bobbed as the ship battled against the fierce waves outside. The man had listened intently to Kevin as he explained what had happened since he and the others last left Mangosteen Island, and raised a hand to his chin. Edd's eyes widened when he noticed the man had already grown a thick patch of stubble where his face had been smooth just a few minutes earlier.

"You know, you all are quite lucky," Stephen said. "You get to go on a wonderful journey at such a young age. Psychic powers, travelling the world, fighting monsters—I know I've had fantasies of adventure, and you're all getting to live them out in real life!"

Edd chuckled. "Well, looking back on it makes it seem like it was a lot of fun, but I remember thinking quite the contrary when my or my friends' lives were on the line."

"I'm not complaining," Eddy's Brother said as he relaxed on one of the bunk beds. "I love killing stuff with my sword. I don't even get in trouble for it, and it's great for anger management."

"Whether or not it makes one less of a total jerk is up for debate, though," Nazz scolded.

Eddy's Brother gave her a sneer, and Kevin walked between them. "How long until we reach Cocona Atoll?" he asked Stephen.

"I'd estimate at least four or five hours," the man replied. "I'm ready and rearing to get back my sea legs, but I've lost a bit of touch at judging the length of a voyage."

"Is there anything to _do_ on this ship?" Eddy's Brother groaned. "Like, got any harpoons or something? I could probably bag us lunch for the next couple of weeks."

Nazz held her hands up to her mouth in shock, and Edd shied his gaze away from the man. Stephen, on the other hand simply chuckled. "That's right, you told me you were a whaler, I believe. Unfortunately, we don't have harpoons anymore—court order—but I do have something I think you'd like." The man reached behind his back, and pulled out another scimitar.

"You're joking," Eddy's Brother deadpanned. His eyes widened when Stephen tossed the weapon at him handle-first, and he barely caught the sword.

"You'd be surprised how much we use these things, even before this Pokey person or whoever came along and started screwing around with the planet." He made to leave the room, and said, "Follow me and let's have a sparring match! We could both afford to up our swordfighting game."

"You want an epic duel on the deck of a ship sailing through the storm of the century just because you wanna practice swordfighting." Eddy's Brother looked at the sword, then at Stephen, who shrugged with a daring smile. A similar grin spread on Eddy's Brother's face, and he stood up. "You're on!"

The two dashed out of the room, leaving Kevin, Ed, Edd, Nazz and Doctor Andonuts behind.

"He's definitely much more forward now," Nazz said.

"He never did answer the question though," Edd sighed. He let a mixture of exhaustion and boredom make him lean back into the wall behind the bed he sat on. Kevin and the others acted similarly, adjusting their positions every few seconds to keep the rocking of the boat from bumping them onto the floor.

Doctor Andonuts sat on a bed next to Ed and Edd's, and he said, "Well, there are a few things I still need to tell you about Porky. Now would be as good a time as any, I suppose."

Kevin sighed, stealing a glance at his bike at the back of the room. "What does Porky even _want_ with our planet?"

"That's what I want to explain." Doctor Andonuts took on a grim tone as he said, "I'm afraid you might not like the answer.

"As I said earlier, his mucking around with a time machine in such an early stage of development had not only made Porky nigh immortal, but has also caused him to live for thousands of years. Due to probably the same factors that have allowed him to live for so long, he retained his immature, childlike personality and thought process through the ages, seemingly unable to learn or mature. He only wants what will give him immediate satisfaction, thinking nothing of the consequences."

Unfortunately, he seems to have concluded that the only things that could possibly entertain him after having lived so long is nothing short of the suffering and destruction of everything around him. What's worse is that he is able of causing this because of his dominance PSI, as well as some of Giygas's power that he acquired through proximity to Giygas alone."

"So he's making all these monsters and turning the world to crap for _entertainment_?!" Kevin asked.

"More than that, I'm afraid," Doctor Andonuts replied. "I fear that all of this is being done for a purpose, and a malevolent one at that."

"Wait," Edd said. "Didn't you say that these various worlds and times were beginning to reject Porky, sending him back to the Chronosphere?"

"I did indeed." The man sighed. "His time here is definitely finite. However, though Porky will have no choice but to leave at some point, his evil PSI will still linger. What he's doing here is different from everywhere else he's been; in other places, he'd blindly lash out and cause as much destruction as he could with the machines he forced me to build for him. Now, however, he's scheming, plotting something. Porky knows very well that he can't be somewhere or somewhen for very long anymore, and it seems that just wanton destruction in between rejections isn't entertaining him anymore. He's feeding as much energy as he can into whatever he's using as a Mani Mani, and I'm afraid I know why."

The man took a deep breath, and concluded, "Porky is trying to create a new Giygas."

The lights above flickered for a moment, and for a few seconds the room went quiet.

"A new Giygas?" Edd asked.

"I'm afraid so. You see, after his first invasion failed, Giegue's mind became unstable. His emotional turmoil built up inside him, amplifying his psychic power at the cost of his ability to control it. Eventually, his PSI became so great that it destroyed both Giegue's body and mind. He became a swirling mass of pure evil energy, with nothing but fragments of an insane mind caught within it. My son and his friends fought Giygas, and in the end he was defeated when everyone on the earth prayed for prayers of everyone caused earth's defense mechanism to kick in, and it and cleansed the planet of Giygas's influence."

Kevin put a hand on his chin. "So are you saying that we could do the same here? I mean, getting everyone on earth to pray wouldn't be easy, but it happened on your version of earth, right?"

Doctor Andonuts shook his head. "The problem here, however, is that Giygas was once _someone_. Even though he could no longer think rationally when his power took over, he could still feel fragments of emotions. The prayers resurfaced memories of Maria inside him, causing what was left of his mind to help the earth expel his power from existence.

"I believe that what Porky is trying to do is make a new Giygas using a nonliving vessel instead of a sentient being. If he were to gather enough energy—which is most certainly possible with his freak abilities—he could recreate the power that Giygas wielded. Not only that, but this new Giygas wouldn't be susceptible to human emotions like the first one was, making it virtually unstoppable."

The room once again broke into an uncomfortable silence, and even the storm outside seemed to have quieted down.

After a choking minute, Kevin stood up from his bunk. "I need some air," he said, walking out the door. Nazz got out from her bed and followed him, saying likewise.

The room became empty, save for Doctor Andonuts, Ed, and Edd. They sat quietly on the beds for a minute, until Edd realized that he had an opportunity to lighten the mood.

"Would you care to tell us what your version of Earth was like?"

Doctor Andonuts smiled. "If you'd care to listen."

**~γγγγγγ~**

Nazz sighed. The lights of the old ship passing over her made her think of her parents driving her home late at night. She looked at her hands and arms, which were covered in scars and calluses. She focused on the corner of her vision and saw the edges of her golden hair. At least, it was golden on the top, but parts of it had been blackened and singed for a while now. She felt the weight of her gadgets in her pockets, the gadgets that Doctor Andonuts had given her to protect herself up until she had reunited with her friends. Her friends, she smiled, who seemed to enjoy her presence and let her help them.

And then there was Eddy's Brother. He was bad enough when she saw how he had treated Eddy his whole life, but now he was inexplicably following them on their adventure. Outside of fighting, all he did was throw insults around and make spiteful jokes. Nazz sneered as she wondered why he was even bothering following Kevin when he could easily travel on his own to slay monsters.

As she thought, she looked up, and found a flight of stairs leading to the deck. She climbed them, clutching onto her coat as wind from the storm outside began to blow past her, and stepped out into the dark world above. The rain had stopped, but strong gusts of wind bellowed around and lightning flashed from all different directions around the ship. Nazz looked to the side, and saw Eddy's Brother walking toward the bow.

"I thought you were training with Mister Reichison," said Nazz.

"Didn't last very long." The man didn't turn around. "We found out that we were both amazing and awesome with swords, and decided to save our energy for other things."

Nazz made to reply, but she suddenly stumbled as the ship jerked to the side. She hit the handrail with an "Oof!" and looked up at the waves beyond. Her eyes widened as she saw something splash through the water.

"Move," Eddy's Brother commanded. He grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back from the railing. Nazz saved her indignity as she saw a creature resembling a gigantic fish leap out of the water. It opened its mouth wide, revealing several rows of sharp teeth as it soared through the air toward the ship. Eddy's Brother made no attempt to move out of the way.

"Look out!" Nazz sprang to her feet and sprinted forward. Eddy's Brother yelped in surprise as Nazz tacked him to the side, dropping his scimitar on the deck. The fish monster slammed into the deck where he stood a moment earlier.

"Get offa me!" Eddy's Brother shoved Nazz to the side and got to his feet. The fish monster bared its teeth, and through some unseen muscle, managed to turn onto its belly. It launched itself across the deck toward the man.

Nazz made to intercept it, but Eddy's Brother grabbed her by the back of her shirt and pulled her back.

"What are you doing?" Nazz cried as Eddy's Brother ran forward instead.

The man quickly picked his scimitar from the floor and swung it at the fish, cutting a large gash in the side of its mouth before he kicked it to the side. "Stay outta my way! Go back inside or something!" he cried.

Nazz ignored him, running toward the fish and delivering a sharp kick to its side. It slid back across the deck, and hit a surprised Eddy's Brother along the way.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm sorry! I'm trying to help!"

Eddy's Brother hit the handrail along the side of the deck, and kicked the fish away from himself. "You're doing a crummy job at it!"

Nazz leapt into the air, and slammed her heel into the fish from straight above. The force of her kick caused the creature to flatten slightly until it suddenly burst into a puff of smoke.

The smoke took a few seconds to dissipate, leaving behind a small trout flopping helplessly along the deck. Eddy's Brother walked up to it and gave it a kick, sending the trout back into the ocean.

Nazz saw the man walk back toward the deck. "You're welcome," she said softly, trying to keep bitterness out of her voice.

"Stay outta my way next time," Eddy's Brother replied. "I don't know what your problem is, but you don't have to baby everybody around you."

"What do you mean 'baby' everyone?" Nazz asked. "I'm just trying to protect my friends!"

Eddy's Brother turned around, and stepped toward her. "Have you ever thought that they might not need your help all the friggen time? I couldn't taken that fish on fine by myself. I was ready to kill it on the first blow if you hadn't run me over like that!"

"And what if you hadn't taken it out?" Nazz retorted. "What if it'd chomped down on you and torn you to shreds?"

"Why the hell do you care? You don't even like me!"

"I don't," Nazz spat, "and now I _really_ don't, but that doesn't mean I'm okay with the thought of you or anyone else getting killed!"

Eddy's Brother gave a condescending sigh. "If I got killed, that would be my own stupid fault. You gotta let people hurt themselves, because coddling them forever ain't gonna make them tough enough to handle life, with or without friggen monsters everywhere trying to kill everyone."

Nazz glowered at the man. "Yeah, because that way of treating people worked so well with Eddy."

The man's eyes widened, and his face morphed into a livid scowl. Nazz felt a tinge of fear run up her spine as she saw his pupils shrink into pinpricks. His hand gripping his new scimitar tightened around it so much that his knuckles cracked. Nazz took a step back.

"Dinner time, everyone!" The two instantly broke eye contact and turned to see one of Stephen's band mates walk on deck. Nazz recognized him as the bass player. He lost his cheery face when he looked at the two of them. "Are you guys alright?"

Eddy's Brother relaxed, lowering his shoulders and sheathing his scimitar. "Peachy." He walked forward, taking care to rudely brush past Nazz as he did so. Nazz snorted, but said nothing as she followed the man and the confused bass player down to the ship's dining hall.

"I hope you guys like seafood," he said, trying to lift the mood. When neither person responded, he frowned, and continued walking with them.

Everyone filed into the mess room at roughly the same time. Kevin, Nazz, and Eddy's Brother came in quietly, while Ed, Edd, and Doctor Andonuts talked to one another as they sat down.

"So your version of earth is quite similar to ours," Edd remarked. "It seems like the only things really different are the specifics of things like town names and people."

"This is one of the closest variants of my earth I've encountered so far," Doctor Andonuts said. "It's quite nice, actually, considering some of the others dimensions Porky has forced me to visit." He and the others paused to grab a plate of food, and sat down with Kevin and Nazz. Eddy's Brother sat far on the other end of the room, taking to conversation with Stephen. Nazz glanced his way, but quickly turned her attention to her food.

Kevin sighed, resting his head on his arm and idly twiddling his cut of salmon with a fork.

"Anything wrong, Kevin?" asked Edd.

"Well, I've been thinking lately. Why are we doing this?" he asked, looking up at Doctor Andonuts.

"Doing what, exactly?"

"You know…all THIS." He gestured around himself. "We're on a boat in the middle of a giant storm, armed to the teeth on our way to some uninhabited island to find some piece of a mystical relic created by the earth to protect itself somehow.

"I mean, we're all just kids except you and Eddy's Brother, and while you're a good guide, you just barely met us and he hardly acts like an adult anyway!" He sighed again, and continued, "I'm just wondering why it's _us_ on this crazy adventure and not somebody else. Just a few weeks ago, we were all normal kids doing normal things. No PSI or fighting monsters or giving navigational instruments to bipolar ex ship captains or anything. We had just barely found out that the three biggest nuisances in the neighborhood were actually pretty cool friends when we got to know them, and everyone seemed happy. I liked it, and honestly, I just want to go back to that."

Nazz softened her eyes, and put her arm around Kevin's shoulder. "You don't think we all would like everything to go back to normal too?" She looked up to see Ed madly shaking his head, and added quickly, "Except Ed?"

"Then why don't we?" asked Kevin. "Why do we have to be the ones to assemble the mirror and save the world and all that?"

"Because you've already made it this far," Doctor Andonuts said. "I don't think any of you chose to go on your 'crazy adventure' any more than my son and his friends did theirs. In fact, one of Jeff's friends, Ness, was told that saving the world with three others was his destiny. The truth of that is debatable; he did ultimately end up defeating Giygas, of course, but whether that was the result of a predetermined prophecy or other is unknown. Regardless, those four children did end up saving our world simply because nobody else could. Nobody else had the courage to travel to the deepest corners of the earth to fight horrible monsters and recover fragments of something that they only had a vague notion of what it could do. Nobody else was determined enough to keep going, even when friends came and went and things got to the point of hopelessness. And when it came down to it, when I had to extract their minds and put them into robotic bodies to travel to a time of pure chaos with no guarantee of returning, they chose to risk sacrificing themselves to protect the earth that they loved."

Kevin shook his head, clenching his eyes shut and clamping his hands on his temples. "That's just it, though! I don't think I CAN sacrifice myself to save the world! I just want to go home and hang out with my friends and ride my bike like I used to!"

"You also used to be insensitive to the feelings of others, and you let yourself get angry to the point of rage," Edd said. Kevin looked up at him, his eyes filling with realization. "This adventure has been dangerous, painful and very stressful, but for Ed and myself that was simply every other day before the whole incident with Eddy's Brother. While our escapades back in our scamming days were less than glorious or honorable, they taught us things about one another and ourselves that we had never considered before.

"Tell me, Kevin. Would you, if given the chance, choose to undo everything, to make it so Porky never landed in our universe, and we never went on this adventure together and learned the things we did?"

"Well…" Kevin looked around, as if trying to find an answer in the room somewhere.

"Eddy would've never died." Everyone looked up, and just barely saw Eddy's Brother before he stormed out of the dining hall.

"Th-that's right," Ed said. He hung his head low, closing his eyes, and then rested it in his arms folded on the table.

"This is getting depressing," Nazz uttered. "Let's talk about something else."

"I agree," Edd said. He turned to Doctor Andonuts, and said, "Would you like to tell us some more about your son and his friends?"

Doctor Andonuts smiled. "I'd love to.

"My son's name is Jeff Andonuts. He's a brilliant boy, able to fix machines and make inventions out of any spare parts he can find. You remind me of him quite a lot actually, Edd—or should I call you 'Double D' like your friends do?"

"You may call me either, but my friends usually prefer my nickname to differentiate me from Ed here." Ed was still lying forward on the table, and Edd gently patted his back.

"Alright then. As I was saying, he was very studious, and one of the top students at Snow Wood Boarding School. He met two of his friends, Ness and Paula, when they contacted him psychically and he took my Skyrunner to their rescue." The man lowered his head a little, and said, "Unfortunately, I'm afraid I don't actually know much about him. He lived at the school for most of his life, and he and I didn't see one another often.

"Anyway, back to his friends, Ness was the leader of their group. He was much like you, Kevin. He wanted to save the world, and was a little hot-blooded. He was a kind boy, though, and he put the needs of his friends above his own.

"Paula was a girl who was gifted with strong psionic powers. I've tried everything I could to trace her heritage and family history, but I have yet—or had yet, as it stands—to find any ancestor who could've been imbued with powers by the aliens or someone else with PSI. How she got them is a mystery, but I guess that's not important. She was a sweet girl, wearing a smile on her face even when she would burn her poor poor victims to ashes or freeze them in blocks of ice.

"Their fourth friend was from a far-off land. He was the crown prince of a country called Dalaam, and his name was Poo."

Ed lifted his head off the table, and Edd could see him struggling not to smile.

"Yes, he received a lot of flak for his name, but he was a boy of honor, and didn't lose his temper over it. He also possessed strong PSI. Unlike Ness's or Paula's psychic powers, however, Poo's came from intense mental training and meditation. He was taught the ways of Mu, a mindset that involved clearing of the mind and the perception of absolute nothingness. It is said that those who wish to learn Mu must undergo a terrifying ritual, in which the ancient spirits of Dalaam come into physical existence when one meditates to the point of blocking out everything and sitting absolutely still. The spirits progressively mutilate the body until the user gives up his mind to nothingness, starting by breaking the legs, then removing the arms, eyes and ears. Each time the spirit or spirits ask if the user is okay with proceeding, and should they ever want to learn the true meaning of Mu, the user must accept—"

Doctor Andonuts looked up, just barely realizing that he had tilted his head forward in a way that made dark shadows appear on his face. The four children stared at him in terror, their mouths hanging open and their eyes wide in shock.

"C-can w-we change the subject again?" Nazz stuttered.

"We most certainly can!" Everyone looked up to see Stephen Reichison standing before the table. "Because we're here!"


	60. Chapter 60

**Chapter 60**

* * *

"Here we are!"

Stephen leaned forward on the handrail at the front of the ship like an excited child. Everyone walked up behind him to see where the ship was headed. The sky above them was still dark, but the wind and the surrounding lightning had subsided. A little light made its way through the clouds, just enough to give everyone a good view of the island in front of them.

Cocona Atoll was much larger than Mangosteen Island. It lay before the ship, massive and covered in thick, lush vegetation. Off in the distance, the land curved upward toward a large volcano.

"If your sanctuary is somewhere in that island," Stephen said, "I'm guessing it'll be pretty well-guarded."

Edd gave a confident smile. "Nothing we haven't had to deal with before."

Stephen smiled back, and he left the children and Doctor Andonuts to head to the back of the ship. It was strangely quiet, and what little light the clouds above the atoll let out didn't seem to reach it. It was here that he found Eddy's Brother, sulking by way of sawing the blade of his scimitar against the handrail as he leaned against it. If the rail wasn't already old and worn and in need of replacement anyway, Stephen would've chucked the man overboard for vandalizing his ship. But it was, and Stephen wasn't one to add insult to injury, so he pushed those thoughts aside.

"We'll be arriving soon," Stephen said curtly. The man before him turned his head, his eyes sunken and dark. He gave a grunt and went back to sawing.

Stephen took that as a grunt of affirmation, and turned to return to the bow.

"You have a brother?"

The question almost startled Stephen. "No," he said, turning back to face Eddy's Brother. The man was still turned away from him, gazing out into the dark, endless ocean beyond. "I'm an only child."

Eddy's Brother sighed, but otherwise said nothing else. Stephen resumed walking away, and as he did he heard a faint, raspy, "So am I."

**~γγγγγγ~**

The five children and Doctor Andonuts, on Stephen's instruction, climbed into a small raft hanging over the side of the ship.

"We're going to have to lay anchor here," Stephen said. "Can't risk beaching this old girl if the shore turns out to be too shallow."

"Are you coming with us?" Ed asked.

"I'll catch up with you six in a bit," the man replied. "My crew and I have a few things we still need to do here. Once we're done, though, we'll find a way to help you guys out."

"You've already been a great help," Edd thanked. Ed and the others nodded in agreement.

The sound of heavy footsteps caught Stephen's attention, and he turned to see Eddy's Brother walking toward the rowboat. Without so much as a sound, the man hopped in and sat down.

"Good luck," Stephen said. He and a fellow shipmate lowered the boat into the water, where it drifted away from the ship. Eddy's Brother and Doctor Andonuts each found an oar, and wordlessly got to work rowing the boat to the island's shore. The sound of thunder boomed in the distance, adding a bass to the percussion of waves hitting the boat and oars creaking as the two men rowed.

"So," Nazz said, fidgeting in her seat, "what do you guys think this next sanctuary will look like?"

Everyone looked at her, but remained quiet. After a few seconds, Kevin gave a thoughtful "Hmm", and said, "Well, I think it has to suit the environment somewhat. The Crystal Clearing had plants and stuff that were like the others I saw on the mountain, but made of crystal obviously. The Obsidian Oasis was found deep within a mine, so I guess it had to do with rock and ore. The Glass Bubble was underwater underneath a small island like a giant fish bowl, the Icicle Chamber was in a glacier and made of ice, of course, and then the Windy Island was in the middle of a big, breezy field."

"I can't believe you gave them all dorky names like that," Eddy's Brother scoffed with a breathy chuckle.

"Yeah, well it helps me keep track," Kevin replied sincerely. "Anyway, since the sanctuary's on an island, maybe it could be made of wood or sand or something. There's no way to know for sure until we find it."

"And that's part of the fun," Doctor Andonuts chimed.

The boat soon hit shore, and everyone stepped out into the wet sand of the beach. The bank stretched a few feet into the island until a near-solid wall of vegetation blocked it off. Ed shivered; the island wasn't any warmer than Mangosteen was, and nobody had bothered to bring their coats since the rain had stopped.

"Aw, man," Nazz complained as she instantly felt grit get in her shoes. Edd gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder, expressing his own discomfort.

"So, where does your freaky powers say we should go?" Eddy's Brother asked.

Kevin took a deep breath and concentrated. He stood still, almost subconsciously raising his hands to his temples, and thought about clearing his mind. When he did, he heard a tiny chord off into the distance. It was just like the one he'd heard at the glacier, except quieter, farther away. Kevin opened his eyes and smiled.

"It's this way," he said, pointing inland toward the volcano. "It's deep inside the island somewhere."

Kevin scanned the thick foliage for a place to enter it, but on either side of him the flora stretched as far as the eye could see. Eddy's Brother brushed past him with a rude "Allow me", and he began hacking a path through the plants with his scimitar. The four children and Doctor Andonuts followed behind him as he carved through the vegetation, and they soon entered a clearing large enough to step around freely in. Large palm trees towered above it, and their leaves blocked out much of the dark gray sky above. The island further in turned into a much sparser forest of exotic trees and shrubs, and Edd smiled at the sight.

"I'm suddenly starting to miss my expedition equipment," he said. "I could possibly discover a new species out here!"

A sudden ensemble of rustling leaves and snapping twigs emanated from the edges of the clearing.

"Looks like you're gonna have to beat them up first," Eddy's Brother quipped.

Everyone drew their weapons, huddling closer to one another in the center of the glade. As expected, various creatures jumped out of the foliage on all sides to attack. A fish the size of a large man came at Eddy's Brother, walking on his rear fins as if they were tiny legs. Its front fins were bulgy, and looked like muscular arms as they grasped a metal trident poised to strike whatever moved.

"What'll ya call this one?" Eddy's Brother called out as he readied his sword.

Ed watched him cleave the thing in two, and shouted, "How about a Manly Fish?"

A pair of coconuts with legs came charging at Nazz, who jumped away and began kicking at them. "And these guys?"

More Manly Fish came to attack, and Ed fought them off along with Edd. "How about—WHOA—uh, Cookoo Nuts?"

The pattern continued for three more creatures, and Doctor Andonuts listened intently as he stood still in the midst of the fray. Whenever something came too close to him, he reached into his coat and casually tossed a small explosive at it. "I see you've come up with an interesting naming system."

"It keeps things fresh," Kevin said as he jumped into the air to dodge a Manly Fish's trident.

Doctor Andonuts walked backwards when a group of enemies charged toward him. He tossed bombs left and right to keep them at bay, and shouted over the explosions, "Ness and his friends did something similar. Just another parallel between your world and mi—"

The man bumped into something from behind. He turned around, and came face-to-face with what looked like a large, purple flower growing on the truck of an oddly-colored tree. Its petals puckered in, and the man gasped as the flower suddenly opened up and sprayed him with a puff of thick, purple mist.

"Doctor Andonuts!" Ed yelled, having seen the event in the corner of his eyes. He kicked off of a nearby Manly Fish and sprinted toward the man.

"Don't come closer!" Doctor Andonuts pleaded. He was too late, though, and Ed skidded to a halt next to him to try and use PSI Lifeup. The flower seemed to notice Ed, as it turned toward him and poisoned the boy with the purple mist as well.

Edd watched the whole thing from across the clearing. He turned to shout, "Watch out for the purple flowers", but before he could say anything, he jumped back to avoid an attack and suddenly felt a cool substance spray on the side of his face.

"Double D!" shouted Nazz. She felt a chill go up her spine as she realized she was standing near the edge of the clearing like they were. She turned her head and gasped as a purple flower sprayed her as well.

"Everyone, come to the center of the clearing!" Kevin shouted, nervously scanning the area around him for lavender buds. Eddy's Brother begrudgingly inched toward Kevin as he fought to stay away from the strange plants. Edd and Nazz ran toward the center of the clearing to join the two, but Ed and Doctor Andonuts stood their ground.

"What are you guys waiting for?" Eddy's Brother called. Ed and Doctor Andonuts looked at him blankly from across the clearing, and then at each other. They made to stumble toward the center, but two shapes suddenly appeared behind them. They turned to see two green, tentacle-like vines lash out and warp around them, pulling Ed and the doctor out of sight.

"Ed!" Edd shrieked. He ran toward where the two were previously only to get tackled to the ground by Kevin.

"Don't let them get you too!" he shouted. Kevin heard a scream, and he turned around to see another vine grab hold of Nazz from the other side of the clearing. It reeled back into the forest, and Eddy's Brother quickly sprinted toward it. With a scream, he jumped on the vine and pierced it with his sword. The tentacle lost no speed, however, and Eddy's Brother was pulled into the thicker part of the forest along with Nazz. Kevin and Edd stood close to each other, the only ones left in the clearing and surrounded by monsters.

**~γγγγγγ~**

Ed and Doctor Andonuts struggled for air as the vines dragged them through the jungle at a breakneck pace. They were held in a vice-like grip around their waists, but Ed managed to wriggle one arm free when his vine bumped against a rock.

"PK Fire!" Ed slammed his free hand down on the vine and watched as it dried out and began to smoke. The vine slowed down, and Ed quickly shot a small fireball at the vine holding Doctor Andonuts before it could drag him out of sight. The tentacles' grip around the two softened as Ed continued to scorch them, and they began to slow down to a crawl. Before Ed could cut through either vine entirely, both of them unraveled around the two and fled deeper into the jungle around them.

"Good thinking, Ed!" Doctor Andonuts said, picking himself off the ground. "Let us get back to Kevin and the others qu—quickly…" The man's voice trailed off. He looked up at the forest around them in a trance, and Ed soon discovered why.

The jungle was pink. Pink and orange, with trees a vibrant shade of gold that sprouted lavender, _fuzzy_ leaves. The overcast above them was no longer dark; it was magenta, with the clouds beginning to part to reveal a green sky above.

"O-oh my," Doctor Andonuts babbled, astonished. "That flower must have had some… drastically adverse effects."

"You sound just like Double Double D," Ed mumbled, his speech slurred. His head lulled around his neck as he looked around him, more entranced by his surroundings than the doctor.

"Where are we?" he slurred.

"I don't think it's appropriate to say 'where' as much as 'how'," the man replied. He could feel the world slowly spinning around him, shifting back and forth ever so slightly. "Whatever that flower sprayed at us must be changing around our perception of the world, like a hallucinogen. I—" A flash of green amongst the orange and yellow caught Doctor Andonuts' eye. Ed watched the man's hair stand on end, a look of shock on his face.

"What—"

A blur rushed past Ed, and a horrific sense of familiarity washed over him.

Giving each other a short glance, Ed and Doctor Andonuts ran further into the jungle to chase the people they just saw.

**~γγγγγγ~**

"Let go of her you stupid garden weed!" Eddy's Brother clamored onto the vine holding Nazz with all his strength. He kicked and scraped at it with his feet, but it did little to deter the plant. He gritted his teeth, knowing that he couldn't get enough leverage to pull his sword out for another swing lest the vine shake him off.

"Let go!" Nazz shouted from the end of the vine. "Wherever it's taking me can't be good!"

"No way! You clearly can't handle yourself, especially not with that purple crap on you!"

"Just go away, or you'll get dragged in with me!"

Eddy's Brother growled, and pulled himself close enough to the vine to wrap his legs around it. "You're always so damn adamant about helping people, yet you don't want anyone helping you!"

"And you hate people helping you out, so why are you trying to save me?!" Nazz screamed back.

Eddy's Brother yelled, and yanked his scimitar out of the vine. He managed to swing it and cleave right through the vine just before his legs gave out, and he was flung through the jungle. Nazz fell to the ground as the limp tendril loosened around her.

Eddy's Brother rolled along the hard forest floor, wincing as he barreled over small rocks and pebbles. He got to his feet, dirty and scratched, and took the opportunity to spit out some dirt and dust that had gotten into his mouth. He looked around to find that he was near the edge of a large cliff. It stretched for miles in either direction, dropping off into a vegetated chasm far below. Snorting, he turned and saw Nazz near the edge of the cliff a ways away.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" he asked, storming toward her. "I try to help for once, and you—" He stopped talking when he realized she wasn't paying attention to him. He opened his mouth to say as much, but he noticed her face as she stared at a small outcropping on the other side of the canyon. "Wh-what're you…?"

Nazz's eyes were open wider than Eddy's Brother thought was possible, and her pupils were the size of pinpricks as they shifted around madly. She took a small step forward, taking her dangerously close to the edge of the cliff.

"Hey, be careful," Eddy's Brother warned. He walked toward her, and said, "What're you—"

"No," Nazz whispered. "I-it can't be…"

Eddy's Brother saw her eyes grow moist. He looked to the side of the canyon where she was staring at, but saw nothing but a small, empty ledge. "What are you looking at?"

"M-my…" Nazz took another step forward, and her foot caused a few tiny rocks to crumble off the edge and into the chasm below. "My brother."

**~γγγγγγ~**

Kevin and Edd couldn't move away from the clearing in the jungle. Everywhere they looked there were either more foes blocking the way or the strange, malevolent flower buds.

"You alright, dude?" Kevin asked, having used PSI Healing and Lifeup on Edd several times.

"I'm starting to think that these flowers are having adverse effects on those they infect," Edd slurred. "My senses are discombobulating, and I think I'm starting to have hallucinations."

Kevin stepped to the side to hit a Manly Fish, and said, "I hope you can still fight. These guys just aren't stopping!"

Edd turned to a nearby Cookoo Nut and pointed his cooking pot cannon at it. Kevin watched his eyes suddenly grow wide, and the boy hesitated before he clenched his eyes shut and hit the foe by pure chance.

"What's wrong?"

"Th-that…"

A Manly Fish tackled Edd from behind, knocking the boy's weapon out of his hands and far into the jungle beyond. Kevin swung his wrench like a golf club and knocked the Manly Fish to the side. After helping Edd to his feet, he jumped toward the creature to tackle it to the ground. It was quick to react, however, and punched Kevin in the side of the face. Kevin fell to the ground, but quickly took the opportunity to kick the fish monster's nubby legs out from underneath it and pin it to the ground. "Quick, finish him off!" he shouted. He saw Edd search frantically for his weapon, and then notice that the pistol had fallen out of his pocket onto the ground in front of him. He quickly picked it up, but as he turned to aim it, Edd's eyes grew wide. Kevin saw the boy begin shaking. "What's wrong?"

"Th-th-there a-are t-two of you!" Edd stared at his weapon and his eyes widened. With a gasp, he suddenly dropped the gun as if it had turned into a rattlesnake. Kevin struggled to keep the monster at bay as Edd fell to his knees. His breathing became heavy, and he started to sweat as he held his head in his hands. "I don't know which one to shoot!"

**γγγγγγ~**

Ed and Doctor Andonuts scrambled through the jungle as it blurred and sparkled past them. The figures they were chasing were just ahead, barely out of their sight at all times. The more glimpses that they caught, however, the more determined they became. The trees zipped past them in a multicolored blur, and the sky above seemed to change hues on a whim.

Doctor Andonuts faster than Ed, making up for age with size and agility. He was also wearing kinetic shoes that allowed him to run faster and jump higher than normal, but the bulk of it was all him, he insisted. He watched the figure suddenly come to a halt a ways in front of him. Through his thick glasses, he saw the ground up ahead suddenly vanish into a cliff. He jammed his feet into the ground and slid to a halt just before the edge.

"Ed, stop!" Doctor Andonuts screamed. He turned to see the boy skid to a halt as well, but his momentum carried him forward. The doctor gasped, and grabbed Ed's jacket with one hand and the branch of a nearby tree with the other. Ed gasped as he nearly fell over the edge, finally coming to a stop as Doctor Andonuts strained to pull him back. Ed regained his balance, falling backwards onto the ground shortly after, and exhaled in relief.

"Slow to react, as usual."

Ed felt his breath leave him before he could even inhale again.

"Always having to rely on others to bail you out. Yet you wonder why we love Sarah more than you."

Ed slowly sat up, quivering. Before him, a large, leafless tree branch hung sideways over the cliff. At the end of it stood Ed's father.

"Do you know how long it would take for someone to reach the bottom?" The man gave a small glance down at the canyon below before sneering at Ed. "Of course you don't. You're too stupid to figure something like that out. Not like it would even matter. If someone were to fall down here, you'd be too slow to save them anyway."

Ed choked down a lump in his throat. "D-dad," he whispered, "I—"

He suddenly heard a scream. He blinked, and saw Sarah hanging from the branch.

"Help!" The girl hung onto the bough with one hand, madly clawing at it with the other to get another hold.

"Look at yourself. You can't even save your own baby sister."

"N-No, I—" Ed took a step forward toward the branch. His vision became clouded as his eyes teared over, but nonetheless he prepared to leap onto the branch to grab Sarah. Before he could, however, he felt a tug on his jacket.

"Ed," said a stern voice. Ed gasped, and turned to the side to look at Doctor Andonuts. He'd forgotten the good doctor was there. "Whatever you do, do not go towards that branch. Whatever you're hearing, whatever you're seeing, it isn't real. It's just an illusion."

"Y-you see him too?" Ed asked.

Doctor Andonuts looked at the branch, and saw a young man standing on it. His green coat blew around him in the wind, along with his neatly-trimmed golden hair. The man had his arms folded, standing unnaturally still on the precarious foothold. His eyes were barely visible behind his square glasses, but the doctor could tell they were filled with malice and contempt.

"Hello, father," said Jeff Andonuts acidly. "It's been a long time, hasn't it? You must be used to it, though. After all, you sent me away to that school for all my life and hardly gave a damn when I came to visit for the first time in years. Actually, according to your family reunion schedule, I think I might be a little early."

Doctor Andonuts said nothing.

"Don't worry, I'll once again be out of your quickly-vanishing hair soon enough. I'm just here to say, go on, keep pretending to help these people that you barely even know, trying to do good while the kid you've spent more time with than your own son causes all the bad." Jeff lowered his head, and glowered. "That's it. That's all I'm here for, and now you'll never have to see me again." Jeff Andonuts tilted back, and fell before his father's eyes into the chasm below.

Ed saw a tear run down the man's face. "Yes, Ed. I see him too."

**~γγγγγγ~**

"Your… brother?"

Nazz teetered on the ledge of the canyon, her whole body shaking as she gazed at an invisible person on the other side. She didn't seem to notice Eddy's Brother as he quickly stumbled through the thick foliage on the ground toward her.

"You're gonna hurt yourself. Get away from there!"

The girl slowly shook her head. Eddy's brother got close enough to hear her mumbling through labored breaths. "No… no… not again…" Breaking into sobs, she reached an arm out, and raised her leg over the edge of the chasm.

Eddy's Brother broke into a sprint. Nazz tipped over the edge of the canyon and plundered downward. Eddy's Brother reached the edge half a second later and dove to the ground to try and grab her, but the rock gave away from under him and he fell down with her into the void below.

**~γγγγγγ~**

"Double D, I need your help!" Kevin jumped around, swinging his wrench to bat away creature after creature that charged at him from all directions. They seemed to ignore Edd, who was curled up on the ground, squeezing his head between his hands.

"I-I can't! I can't tell friend from foe! All I have is that—this _murder weapon_!" The memories of Ed's bleeding ear rushed into Edd's mind. He shot Ed's ear during his struggle with Helmy. He shot Ed's _head_. Ed lay on the tile floor, bleeding. Jimmy lay next to him in a pool of his own blood. Kevin charged at Edd from the kitchen, screaming as he brandished a butcher knife. Edd shot him in the head, and he joined the pile of bodies. A mob of adults chased Edd through the snow. He shot every last one of them, turning the tundra from white to crimson. Edd forced himself to open his eyes, and he gasped as he saw his victimized friends in the clearing around them.

"I know you're afraid of hurting your friends," Kevin panted, "but if you don't do anything then they might get hurt anyway!"

"I—I can't risk that!" Edd shouted. Tears ran down his face as he whirled around, seeing bloodied and battered versions of his friends wherever he looked. "If I ended up killing someone—I wouldn't be able to live with myself!"

"And what if you let someone get killed by not doing anything?" Kevin yelped as he felt a trident jam its prongs into his stomach. In a fit of primal rage, he blasted its wielder away with PSI and fell to his knees to heal the wound. "Please, Double D! I need your help! I trust you with that gun. We all do, because we all know you're the smart, rational kid on our team who would never make the mistake of hurting the wrong person! You've got to learn to trust yourself like that too!"

Edd clenched his eyes shut, and felt more tears flowing down his face. He looked toward where he heard Kevin's voice, and saw a mess of people scrambling around like mad. His knees shook and protested, but Edd forced himself to his feet. His arms felt like jelly, but he forced them to draw the pistol from his pocket. His eyes were wet and his vision was blurry, but Edd forced himself to see his opponents for what they were. Everything shifted back to its true form, just for a brief flash before it returned to chaos, but it was enough.

_BLAM!_


	61. Chapter 61

**Chapter 61**

* * *

"The ailment caused by those flowers must have much more than simple psychoactive effects." Doctor Andonuts and Ed made their way through the jungle, making sure to keep as close to one another as possible. All around them, mixed with a flurry of sickening colors, were people. Ed's father, Jeff Andonuts, Sarah, every person Ed and Doctor Andonuts knew stood in the jungle, flickering in and out of existence. They all scowled and jeered and shouted insults at the two in an endless flurry of spite and hatred.

"It feels so real," Ed said, trying to keep his eyes dry and failing. He had given up on trying to plug his ears or drown out the voices a while ago; it didn't work.

"Fortunately, it seems like the creatures who would otherwise attack us are privy to the flowers' excrement themselves. For good reason, of course," Doctor Andonuts said. "At least we don't have to fight in this condition."

Ed focused his gaze on the ground. "…Doctor?"

"Hm?" The man looked at Ed.

"I—is it… um…" He hugged his arms, squeezing his jacket for all its warmth. "Is it okay to be… slow? To not be smart, even when all your friends are?"

The man smiled. "That depends on how you define 'smart'. People such as Double-D and I are smart in that we can build gadgets and know many facts. Others like Kevin are smart in how they handle situations and predicaments they find themselves in. Most people I know are smart in one sense or another."

"What if I'm not smart at all?" Ed asked. "What if I'm just stupid all around?"

"You're letting these hallucinations get to you," Doctor Andonuts said sternly. "You shouldn't listen to the voices. They're just projections of our inner fears and insecurities, brought about by this poison. If we aren't careful, it could drive us mad, possibly even to the point of suicide. I must say that is quite a cruel method of killing off what I can only guess is the flowers' prey."

"But it's true, I _am_ stupid. I never know where to go, or what to do or who to fight. I just let Kevin and Double-D and everyone else lead me around and I don't do anything except when I fight stuff." The boy sighed, closing his eyes tight. "I just mess things up, like when I left Kevin and mister Conductor behind on the train."

"But you also helped Double-D and Kevin stop fighting," Doctor Andonuts said. "And in Pomegranate Pool, you were able to point out how Adam hadn't yet moved on into death after spending so long in purgatory.

"That's where you're intelligent." The man brushed past a thick branch and held onto it to let Ed past, and continued, "You can read most people like a map. You can tell if there's something wrong with someone, and you like to do everything in your power to help them."

"I didn't know that counted as smart," Ed said.

"I'd say it's one of the most important kinds of smart. Sometimes, that kind of empathy is all that you need in life when you keep those you love close to you."

Ed smiled, and the voices around him and the doctor seemed much quieter.

**~γγγγγγ~**

Eddy's Brother groaned, wishing he could stay unconscious for just a few more minutes. The pain wouldn't let him, however. He groaned, clenching his eyes shut and gritting his teeth. Waking up with a massive headache and the need to barf was hardly a new experience, but the cracked bones and wet gashes all over his body didn't make it any more pleasant. When it became very painfully clear that he was not going back to sleep, he opened his eyes to gaze upward.

Above him hung leaves, each as large as a hammock, sprouting from enormous trees that towered above. Some of them were bent and broken at the stems, like something or somethings large and stupid and high off their rocker came crashing through them on their way down the Chasm 'o Death. It was explanation enough of how he survived the fall, and he stopped using precious, migraine-inducing brainpower on further deduction. He was alive, albeit wrecked, and that was all that—

"Nazz!"

The man shot up and instantly reeled as his chest screamed in pain. He felt a weight roll off of him with an "Oof", and ignored the pain long enough to see Nazz, alive and with considerably less injuries than him. He sighed in relief, then chuckled lightly to himself. Of course she was alright; she landed on the world's biggest bag of—

"Agh!" Nazz gasped with her face close to the ground, inhaling a cloud of dust and subsequently coughing it out.

When her breathing finally normalized, Eddy's Brother spoke. "What is wrong with you?" Nazz looked at the man, and after a pause she sighed. However, she noticed that the question was actually sincere. "What did you see that made you step off a cliff like that?" Eddy's Brother slowly crawled along the ground, making his way toward the closest tree until he could sit back against it. The area was sparse but shady, with only small patches of light shining in from above.

"I… I saw my brother," Nazz uttered. She crawled along the ground, still weak, and sat next to Eddy's Brother. He watched her quietly as she pulled a small wallet out of her pocket, and from it she slipped out a small picture. The photo depicted a young boy, smiling a toothy grin and wearing a golden bowl cut of hair atop his head.

"His name was Andrew." Eddy's Brother couldn't see the girl's eyes from behind her hair, but he saw a tear roll down her cheek. "I saw him on the ledge. I HEARD him screaming for help, screaming that he was going to die…" She bent forward, hugging her knees, and let a few sobs out.

"Must be the purple stuff," Eddy's Brother croaked. "I didn't know you had a brother, though. Not when I still lived at the cul-de-sac anyway."

"Why do you care?"

"Hey, I just saved your friggen life!" Eddy's Brother threw his hands in the air, ignoring the cuts on his arms. "What you saw wasn't even real anyway. In case you haven't noticed, _my_ brother is dead, but do you see ME jumping off cliffs because of it?"

"You don't get it, do you?" Nazz asked. "Andrew died a long time ago."

The man's face softened. "Oh."

"Do you know why I try to help people so much?" asked Nazz slowly, "Do you know why I throw myself into danger to protect my friends?" She cast a glance at him, and then at the picture. "When I was young, I had to babysit Andrew all the time. Our parents wouldn't let him go outside because he was too little—which is why you never saw him. I hated watching him, and I tried to ignore him whenever I could. And one day…" her voice became a whisper as she forced herself to choke down more sobs, "one day, he got into the silverware drawer and found a butter knife. I thought he couldn't hurt himself with it, so I went to my room. However, a few minutes later I heard a terrible scream. When I rushed downstairs, I saw him on the floor, and the knife was jammed into an outlet."

Nazz couldn't hold the sobs back any longer, and she began to cry. Eddy's Brother clenched his eyes shut, and turned his head the other way. He took in a deep breath. "Do you really want to know why I'm still going with you guys?" he asked. Nazz didn't say anything, but her sobs seemed to slow down. "It's because of what Double D told me. Back on my ship, he said that I had caused Eddy to become a greedy and selfish person. When you guys all came to my trailer and I got the crap beat out of me, though, he redeemed himself in all of your eyes, and you accepted him."

"W-we didn't know how hard he had it," Nazz whispered. "How hard of a life you gave him."

"Double D actually thanked me for it. He said that because of me, Eddy caused all kinds of trouble along with his friends, and those trials made them strong and persistent. I didn't say anything at the time, but that made me feel…weird. Like I was happy but felt like a piece of crap at the same time."

He paused for a moment, letting his gaze rise up as he tilted his head back. "Now, I think I know why. When I was with Eddy, beating him up and just being an ass to him, I kept thinking to myself, 'He'll thank me one day, because he's gonna be strong and prepared for the real world'. I believed that I was making him tough and ready to face reality." The man sighed, then winced as his chest released a burst of pain. He waited for a moment for it to die down, then continued, "But he's dead now, and looking back, all that I've done was make his life miserable. I wasn't toughening him up or preparing him for squat. I was just jealous that he was the younger brother who got Mom and Dad's attention and had better stuff than me because we had more money moving into Peach Creek." He cracked a gentle smile. "I guess I'm the one who needs toughening up. Eddy was already stronger than I'd ever realized."

Nazz had stopped crying, and wiped the tears off of her face as she said, "I guess I need to toughen up as well. I can't help everyone all the time, especially if I die trying."

Eddy's Brother breathed a small chuckle. "Maybe we both could take a cue from one another." He leaned forward tentatively, then turned to hold out his hand to Nazz. "Deal?"

Nazz looked at his hand, then at Eddy's Brother. With a weak smile, she grasped it and the two shook. "Deal."

Eddy's Brother grunted in pain as he slowly rose to his feet. He brushed as much dirt and grime out of his wounds as he could, grimacing as the numerous cuts on his arms. "You wouldn't happen to conveniently discover that you have freaky powers and suddenly be able to heal both of us right about now, would you?"

Nazz shook her head, and stood up herself. "Looks like we'll just have to do things the old fashioned way." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a roll of gauze. Eddy's Brother held out his arm in front of her, which held the largest of his bloody scratches. She got to work bandaging it, and he smirked.

"You come prepared, don't you?"

"A babysitter always should."

The two chuckled softly together as Nazz tended to each of their wounds. When she was finished, Eddy's Brother looked up, and scanned his surroundings.

"Well, now that we've had our little moment, where the heck are we?"

"Good question." Nazz surveyed the area with him. Tall trees towered high into the air, and what little sky they could see beyond their leaves was bordered with the tops of the cliff faces of the canyon they stood in. Something peculiar caught Nazz's eye, and she walked backward looking up to get a better view of it.

"Do you see that?" she asked. Eddy's Brother positioned himself next to her so he could see the patch of sky also, but shook his head.

"Just that the clouds are starting to go away."

"I think this flower stuff is making me see more than just my little brother," Nazz said.

"What are you seeing?"

"A tower."

**~γγγγγγ~**

"A tower?"

Kevin scanned along Edd's arm and tried to determine exactly where in the sky the boy was pointing, but found nothing of interest in the dispersing clouds.

"It may be another side effect of the flowers' poison," Edd said, "but I am seeing an enormous, purple tower coming from the island over there. It's like a beacon of sorts, and now that I see it, I feel compelled to go to it." He looked around the clearing, grimacing at the damage around the area from the prolonged fighting. "Of course, I'd like to get out of this place anyway."

Kevin put a hand to his temple and closed his eyes. "That's where I feel the sanctuary coming from. In that direction, at least." He turned to Edd. "You think we should head there or look for Ed and the others?"

Edd looked at the invisible tower again, and said, "Ed, Doctor Andonuts and Nazz have all been afflicted by the flowers, and I'm assuming that Eddy's Brother is with Nazz since he chased after her. If the effects are anything to them like they are to me, then they'd probably be seeing this beacon as well. I say we head for it and hope to meet up with them." He smiled, and said, "Everyone is definitely capable of taking care of themselves at this point. Once we've saved the world of this new Giygas and these monsters, we should plan another excursion to the wild someday."

"You wish."

**~γγγγγγ~**

"Could you help me up, please?"

Ed knelt down on the large boulder and grabbed hold of Doctor Andonuts' hand. He effortlessly hoisted the man up the slope of the rock, and the two walked forward. The boulder they stood on lay at the top of a large stone hill, jutting high above the trees to where the two could get a good look at the island around them.

"Do you see Kevin anywhere?"

"I'm afraid not." Doctor Andonuts gave a quick snort as he put his hands on his hips. "However, I doubt that he and the others would stay in that clearing." He looked over, and saw a tall, purple tower of light jutting from an area near the base of the volcano. "I think it would be best to follow the beacon and see where that leads us."

"The sanctuary's that way," Ed remarked. "What if the flowers and vines and stuff is all part of the boss guarding it?"

"That would make sense," Doctor Andonuts said. "Capturing its prey with mobile vines and weakening it psychologically if it's too strong for them. That most certainly sounds like an abomination of Porky's." The man squinted, and he saw the beacon become slightly transparent. "And what luck, it would seem that the flowers' poison is beginning to wear off!"

Ed smiled, and ran down the hill toward the beacon. "Let's go fight the boss!"

"W-wait up!" Doctor Andonuts called. He huffed to run behind the boy, and whispered to himself, "I'm too old for this…"

**~γγγγγγ~**

The beacon had disappeared by the time Edd and Kevin reached it. He placed a hand on his cheek, and smiled to see no purple residue rub off on it.

"Has it worn off?" Kevin asked.

"I believe it has."

"Good. I don't know why my PSI can't heal it."

"There was nothing _to_ heal," Edd said. "The dust just triggered some psychological phenomenon that caused me to have hallucinations. Its physical effects came and went the moment it hit me, leaving my altered state of mind to do the rest. In that sense, there was nothing for Healing or Lifeup to purge or regenerate, respectively. Besides," he clutched his cooking pot cannon to his chest, felt the weight of the pistol in his pocket, and smiled, "I think I needed that."

The two stepped out of the jungle and into a wide clearing. The sun shone at them from above, the clouds having finally cleared up, and up ahead lay the base of the volcano. In front of the volcano was a large, plant-like creature. A swarm of large vines were wrapped around it, and several of them rooted themselves into the ground and spread deep into the surrounding jungle. Edd recognized the purple flower buds dotting the vines, and widened his stance.

The creature didn't seem to notice them as they headed toward the center of the clearing. Its entire being expanded and contracted slowly and rhythmically, as if it was taking enormous breaths. Edd turned to Kevin, and silently pillowed his head on his two hands, then pointed to the monster. Kevin nodded in understanding, and quietly readied his wrench.

A nearby bush rustled, and Edd snapped around and readied his canon. He saw Eddy's Brother and Nazz step into view, and he smiled.

"Hey—"

"Shhh."

Eddy's Brother held his mouth open for a second, and watched Edd make sleeping gestures at the monster. He noticed it for the first time and flinched, but he and Nazz kept silent as they joined Kevin and Edd in sneaking. With a nudge, he alerted Kevin to his and Nazz's injuries, and the boy quickly healed them.

When he got closer, near the middle of the clearing, Kevin could see the monster in more detail. It didn't have any sort of discernible face, but it had a body that was distinguishable from the hordes of vines surrounding it. On its body lay what appeared to be a large, orange welt, exposed to the open as the tendrils around it lay relaxed on the ground. Kevin looked at the others and they nodded.

"Hey, guys!"

It felt like a long time since Kevin had cringed at the sound of Ed's voice, and he nearly dropped his wrench as he whirled around to see the boy prancing toward him.

"Whoa, is that the boss? Doctor Andonuts, you're right! It is where the flowers came from!"

Kevin, Edd, Nazz and Eddy's Brother all turned to face him, frantically holding fingers to their mouths and making as loudly-quiet "Shh!" sounds as they could.

Ed lost no speed. "WHAT?! I CAN'T HEAR YOU!"

The ground began to shake, and Kevin groaned as the mass of vines and tendrils surrounding the clearing began to animate. Eddy's Brother charged toward the welt with his sword, but it immediately vanished behind a protective shield of plant matter. His sword cut slightly into the tissue, and two vines slammed into him to send him hurtling away from the volcano toward the edge of the clearing.

Everyone ran to where the man landed. Kevin quickly conjured a dome-shaped shield to protect them from the vines surrounding them. "Okay, here's the plan," he said, "Ed, I want you to—"

_BOOM!_

An enormous explosion interrupted him, nearly knocking everyone off their feet. A loud noise filled the air, and when the sound of the explosion faded, Edd recognized it as music. He heard an anthem in the distance, loud and tinny as if it was being blasted from a cheap speaker. Everyone looked up to the sky to see a large, blimp-like airship above. On its balloon was an insignia resembling the snout of a pig.

"Porky!" Doctor Andonuts gasped. The bottom of the ship had an open panel, out of which stuck an enormous cannon surrounded by numerous guns. It aimed at the plant monster, and fired a large bombshell at it from above. The bomb slammed into the creature and exploded. Kevin quickly created more shields to protect everyone from the second blast, as well as the ones that followed. Everyone watched in horror and amazement as the ship discharged every single one of its weapons at the plant monster.

Thirty seconds passed before the explosions finally stopped. Kevin looked down from the airship to the ground, and saw nothing but smoke and dust from behind the shield. After a thought, he concentrated, and quickly expanded the shield outward before dispelling it. The dust and smoke was pushed away to reveal that the plant monster was all but decimated. Kevin almost felt pity for it as what remained of its vines twitched around before the whole thing disappeared in a cloud of gray smoke. Behind it lay the entrance to a large cave inside the mountain.

"BWA HA HA HA!" came a loud, raspy voice from the airship. Everyone turned their attention back to the airship, where a large television screen opened up from its balloon. It activated, and the image of a fat, pig-like old man appeared. "Doctor Snot-donuts, did you really—" the man suddenly let out a large, phlegmy cough, and then carried on as if it never happened, —think you—_hack_-could escape _me_?"

"You've never been smart, but this seems like one of your most idiotic moves yet!" Doctor Andonuts shouted up at the airship. It slowly lowered closer to the ground, and most of the large clearing fell inside of its shadow. "You took out one of your own creatures for us, using those—"

The man gasped, and Kevin could almost hear Porky holding back an evil laughter as he grinned ear-to-ear.

"Those _weapons_? Guess what—_cough_—loser? I figured out how to make _new_ toys to play with!"

A different voice sounded from the airship, and a figure appeared in the background of the screen. "Master Porky, sir, we are ready to fire again, sir!"

Doctor Andonuts gasped again. "Who on—how on earth did you—?"

The numerous guns on the ship all swiveled around and began to point at Kevin and the others.

"You all look like a bunch of losers," Porky said, "but I as you can see, I now have followers who recognize me as their king! And because I am a kind, benevolent king, I offer you all the chance to—"

"WE'LL NEVER JOIN YOU!" Ed jumped forward and pointed a dramatic finger at the image of Porky. Porky opened his mouth to say something, but Ed quickly swung his whole body around and launched his frying pan high into the air, where it slammed into the ship hard enough to dent its metal armor.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" Porky screamed, followed by a short coughing fit. "I didn't even finish—"

"NEEEEVVEEER!" Ed grabbed Kevin's wrench, much to the latter's chagrin, and hurled it into the ship as well. The force of the impact dislodged several of the ship's many guns, sending them plummeting into the jungle below.

"I—just—FIRE! _FIRE FIRE FIRE!_"

The ship made a loud whirring noise that quickly grew in intensity, and several of its guns spun their barrels around menacingly. Kevin quickly tried to erect another shield as fast as he could. Everyone braced themselves for the oncoming onslaught as the whirring reached its peak.

_TICKTICKTICKTICKTICKTICKTICK TICKTICK—_

The sound of several clicking noises and large, empty gusts of air being forced through the cannons rang through the air as absolutely nothing else happened. The guns firing nothing at anything were the only things for miles that moved. Several long, awkward seconds passed by.

"Uh, your highness, sir?" squeaked a voice from behind Porky at last, "W-we used up all of our ammo on the plant monster, sir. A-as per your previous orders, sir."

Total silence followed as the guns eventually stopped dry-firing. A small slap rang through the air as Eddy's Brother slid his hand down his forehead and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I—I'm sorry," Doctor Andonuts uttered, his head hung down. "I'm… just sorry."

"DON'T APOLOGIZE FOR ME!" Porky rasped through the air. He grunted in annoyance, and said, "Whatever, butt-faces! This'll just make destroying you all a whole lot more satisfying!"

The man-child slammed a button on the armrest of his lavish seat. A hatch opened from underneath the airship, and a series of ropes dropped down from it. Two dozen people slid down on them to the ground. making squealing and oinking noises along the way. They all wore heavy uniforms in pink, green, and blue, and donned a helmet in the shape of a cartoonish pig.

"My army is small now," said Porky, "But I'm just getting started. There're a_—COUGH—_lotta universes out there to play in! Now attack!"

The squadron of pig soldiers charged forward. Kevin reached for his wrench—and remembered that it was lodged in a floating hunk of metal fifty feet up.

"Dang it, Ed—"

He was then tackled by three soldiers.

A muffled "PK Flash!" and a burst of light later, Kevin joined Nazz and Ed in fighting the rest unarmed. Eddy's Brother and Doctor Andonuts fought without their weapons as well, due to the latter's insistence not to kill any of them. The soldiers didn't carry any weapons themselves, and clumsily swung their fists at whoever they saw. What they lacked in skill and firepower, however, they made up in numbers. They kept getting back up when struck down.

Edd found himself making the most impact with his cooking pot cannon, able to knock soldiers unconscious with a direct hit. But like the others, he found himself being overwhelmed with the number of them. He got punched and kicked quicker than he could take nearby soldiers out.

"Imagine if there were a hundred of them! A thousand! With guns and tanks!" Porky gloated from the balloon above. "And that reminds me, I still have to show you my secret weapon!"

Another hatch on the underside of the ship opened up, and a figure dropped out of it. Ed gasped in shock as the figure landed hard on the stony ground from fifty feet up, but got to his feet like it was nothing. Sunlight glared from a small crack in the figure's visor.

"Helmy!" Kevin shouted. "He's been with you this whole time?"

"He's a little pet project of mine," Porky wheezed. "He's a mindless drone that does whatever I say! He has perfect obedience. He won't speak, eat or even move unless I say he can!"

"You monster!" Edd shouted. "How could you do that to a human being?"

Helmy stood on the ground, blocking the entrance to the cave. He was motionless, with not a hint of his previous aggression, but light glinted threateningly off his ebony helmet.

"He's kinda lame, though," Porky dismissed. "It took friggen' forever to get him like this, and he can't do anything cool like shoot lasers or fly." He looked down from the screen, as if the enormous projection of him was the actual thing, and grinned devilishly. "Which is why I need _you_ back, doc!"

A robotic, tentacle-like arm sprouted from the ship. At the end of it was a large, clawed hand. It shot toward Doctor Andonuts, but Kevin swatted it away with a focused PK Riding Beta.

"You're not taking anyone with you!" He shouted.

"Oh yeah? And what are you gonna do about it?" Porky asked. Before anyone could reply, he shouted, "Get rid of them, slave!"

Helmy immediately sprang into action. He dashed forward and conjured a large wall of fire in front of him toward Nazz and the others. Kevin conjured up a large psychic shield to block it off. He scanned the battlefield: while he and Doctor Andonuts were busy fighting off the clawed arm, Nazz, Edd and Eddy's Brother had their hands full with the soldiers. Ed was the farthest from either threat.

"Ed, you go and hit him with everything you've got!" Kevin shouted. Ed nodded, and when the flames dispersed, he sprang forth. He closed the distance between him and Helmy in record speed. He swung a powerful arm at the man, who quickly countered and attacked back. The two quickly launched a flurry of strong but somewhat clumsy punches, using each blow to block the other's.

In the midst of the fray, Ed saw something glimmer at the very top edge of his vision. He jumped back to avoid a blow from Helmy and raised his arm to the sky. He felt a trusty frying pan fall squarely into his hand and smiled. Helmy charged toward him, and he held the pan out ready to—

_Eddy._

Ed froze. The image of Eddy's wallet flashed before his eyes. He felt something slam into him, and he was knocked toward the cave. He made to get up, but Helmy stomped a thick shoe into his stomach.

Kevin, Edd and Eddy's Brother looked for an opportunity to engage Helmy in between fighting off Porky's minions. Doctor Andonuts set up numerous bottle rockets on the ground as Kevin protected him from the mechanical arm. One of the rockets flew toward Helmy, forcing him to jump away from Ed. The rest flew into the sky and struck at the airship, chipping away at its hull with each explosion.

"Hey, you can't do that!" Porky shouted.

"I can and I will," Doctor Andonuts shouted back. "The dimensional rift may pull us back into the Chronosphere, but without a time machine you will be stranded there forever!"

"And so will my subordinates!" Porky shouted back.

"Yeah, what about us?"

"If our glorious leader is going down, then we're going down too!"

"I like pork!"

Numerous voices crowded the air. Doctor Andonuts gasped in shock. "How many people have you brainwashed into serving you?"

"Oh, I dunno," Porky said. "Why don't you join them and find out?"

The robotic arm lunged at the doctor again, and Nazz helped him sidestep it.

A lightning bolt from Helmy came their way, but Kevin quickly jumped in front of it. The electricity reflected off of his Franklin Badge with a glittering light and metallic screech. The lightning struck Helmy and forced him to his knees. Edd and Eddy's Brother used the distraction to help Doctor Andonuts.

"Ed, now's your chance!" Kevin shouted. Ed got to his feet and quickly made his way toward Helmy. He raised his frying pan, ready to strike while the other boy was incapacitated. His hand suddenly shook before he could strike. Eddy's face flashed through his eyes.

"E-Eddy?"

Helmy sprang to his feet and forced Ed back with a flaming hand, slamming the boy into the cave wall.

"Eddy, it's me, Ed!"

Helmy threw a flurry of attacks at Ed, who dodged or shook them off while he continued to plead. "I'm your friend! You died but now you're not dead and your Porky's slave, but you're not!"

More and more attacks connected, but Ed ignored the pain as he tried his hardest to grab onto Helmy's shoulders and see past his visor. "Don't you remember—_oof_—me?" Helmy attempted to attack Ed psychically, but a strong psychic shield quickly enveloped the boy.

"What's wrong, Ed?" Kevin shouted.

"You have—" Ed yelped in pain as Helmy began beating his fist into the boy's nose. Ed made little attempt to stop him, instead blindly focusing on trying to get his pleas heard. "—have to—_agh!_—remember!"

"This is starting to bore me," Porky said from above. "Just finish him off already."

Kevin and the others watched in horror as Helmy slammed a hand into Ed's neck, pinning him up against the side of the cave. With his other, he brandished his knife, and drew it back to stab.

"P-please…" Tears rolled down Ed's cheeks as his face lost color. His body was beaten and battered. He tried to lift his arm to the man's helmet, tried to pull it off of his head, but his strength left him as he began to black out from a lack of oxygen. Helmy twirled the knife in his grip to hold it underhanded. Helmy thrust the knife into Ed's stomach. He pulled it out, and stabbed again. And again. And again. Small bursts of air escaped Ed's mouth, but his face held still in an unconscious stare.

Helmy raised his knife to stab one more time, but something knocked it out of his hand. He snapped his head toward the ground and saw a scimitar clang on the cave floor.

"CHAAARGE!"

Stephen Reichison and his band burst from the jungle into the clearing. Half of them immediately pounced on the pig soldiers holding Kevin and the others at bay. The others ran toward Helmy.

Stephen jumped into the air and kneed Helmy in the stomach, knocking the man over. Without losing momentum, he darted forward and grabbed hold of his scimitar.

Kevin saw Ed fall to the ground, and gasped in horror.

"PK Riding Gamma!"

A burst of energy flowed forth from him, all but obliterating the mechanical arm chasing after Doctor Andonuts. Kevin and Edd dashed forward to get to their friend while Stephen's band mates helped Nazz, Eddy's Brother and the doctor recover. Stephen himself engaged Helmy in combat, expertly dodging the man's psychic attacks while keeping him at bay with a scimitar. He dexterously dodged and parried Helmy's attacks, and landed several swift punches and kicks on the man whenever he left a spot open.

The chaos was suddenly interrupted when a loud noise burst from Porky's ship. A sharp, ethereal _ripping_ sound rang through the air, accompanied by electric cracks and cackles.

"It's happening already," Doctor Andonuts gasped.

"What is?" asked Nazz. She suddenly felt the air around her begin to rise up, eventually gathering into a powerful upward current. Behind the airship, the sky ripped apart, opening into a deep, purple rift. It expanded, and air and debris began flowing into it.

"This universe is starting to reject Porky's presence!" Doctor Andonuts said. "He's being pulled back into the Chronosph—Oof!"

Another mechanical arm had sprouted from the ship, and it wrapped itself around the doctor's waist. It immediately yanked him into the air.

"I still need you!" Porky shouted. "You're not getting away from me!"

"Doctor!" Eddy's Brother jumped up and scraped his hands on the side of the arm to try to grab hold of it. He couldn't get a grip on the tubular surface, and he fell back to the ground. He felt a tap on his shoulder, and he saw Nazz. She gestured toward the ship with her head. He nodded, and cupped his hands on the ground. Nazz stepped onto them, and with a mighty heave, Eddy's Brother tossed her upward.

Nazz flew up into the air. She landed on the coil wrapped around the good doctor, and quickly grabbed his shoulder before she slid off.

"Don't worry about me!" the man shouted. Nazz watched as he began to writhe, and helped him as he tried to pull his arm out from the mechanical coil's grasp. When he did, he put a hand on her shoulder. "I've been travelling with Porky for a few years, and I can do it for many years more if I have to. I can't sit by and let him try to destroy another world like yours!" Before she could say anything, he suddenly shoved her off the mechanical arm, causing her to fall to the ground below.

Eddy's Brother saw Nazz from below and he dove toward the middle of the clearing. He caught her with a loud "Oof!" from both of them, and they looked up from the ground to the sky. The rift was larger than the whole airship, which slowly and noisily made its way through the threshold. When the whole ship was inside, the gap immediately closed with an ethereal _FOOM!_, and all the wind stopped.

Nazz got to her feet, and helped Eddy's Brother to his. Something whipped by them, and they turned to see a thoroughly beaten Helmy dash into the jungle. Before anyone could do anything, they heard a low boom, and he vanished into thin air. The area once again grew quiet. Porky was gone, and the pig soldiers all lay unconscious on the ground.

"Oh god, Ed!" Edd cried.

Ed lay on the ground near the cave, soaked in a small puddle of blood. It was mixed with tears rolling from the boy's face, his eyes half-open and glazed over. Kevin dashed toward him, wasting no time as he focused as much energy as possible into his hands.

"PSI Lifeup Gamma."

He felt his heart rate rise as he struggled to see anything change beneath the boy's blood-soaked clothes, but Ed suddenly gasped for breath. The boy didn't stir, but his breathing evened out as he lay on the floor unconscious. Kevin gathered more energy into his hands, preparing to revive him with PSI Healing, but he felt a hand grip his shoulder.

"Let him rest," Edd said.

Kevin looked at Edd, and the energy in his hands disappeared. He closed Ed's eyes, and Eddy's Brother knelt down to pick the boy up.

"Your sanctuary's in there, right?" asked Stephen Reichison. "We'll wait here and take care of these pig guys for you."

"Thank you," Nazz said. She and the others turned around, and walked deeper into the cave.

The light soon dimmed around them, but instead of turning to pitch darkness, it turned a faint red color as they approached the exit. The five walked out of the cave and into an enormous, heat-filled cavern. Lava poured from the ceiling in cylindrical waterfalls into a black abyss below. The floor turned into a stone bridge that lead to an island jutting out of the void in the center of the chamber. The air was hot but clear. Nazz felt like she was in a sauna more than a volcano.

When the five reached the island, Eddy's Brother gently placed Ed on the ground while Kevin walked toward the center. He pulled the mirror out of his pocket and picked up a shard of it from the ground. The two merged, and the mirror resembled a circle with a jagged wedge missing.

"One more to go," Kevin sighed. He pocketed the mirror unenthusiastically, and sat on the rocky ground with another sigh.

"What's wrong, Kevin?" Edd asked.

"We lost Doctor Andonuts."

Nazz found her vision sinking to the ground, and she rubbed her shoulder. She gasped, as she felt something underneath the shoulder strap of her white tank top. She pulled out a small square of paper, and unfolded it.

"Guys, look at this!" she gasped. The other three gathered around the note as she read it out loud.

**_If you are reading this, then I have either failed to uphold my end of the bargain in promising to meet you in person or I have already met you and _he_ has captured me and taken me away. If it is the former, then I deeply apologize. I shall try to explain what is happening the best I can in this letter._**

The letter then gave a short summary of what Doctor Andonuts had told everyone, from Porky to the creation of a new Giygas.

**_Dear Kevin and friends,_**

**_I'm appending this message to my note above, as I have more I would like to say now that I've met you all to some extent, especially if Porky captures me before I can tell you in person. I write this as we are sailing across the Atlantic to reach Cocona Atoll._**

**_Porky has taken me to dozens of universes over the relative years he has held me captive, but only yours has he tried so vehemently to destroy. At first I thought that, as an additional side effect to his wanton time travel, he was physically unable to learn. I believe that to be true as far as emotional maturity goes—the boy's at least thousands of years old but still behaves like a spoiled rotten child, after all—it would seem that he is beginning to experiment with his PSI powers and hone them. At first, all he could do was cause those affected to lash out madly at those around them, but now it seems that he has learned how to bend a person's will to his own, either through brute psychic force or subtle suggestion._**

**_Your planet—and maybe even your very universe, depending on how powerful Porky's recreation of Giygas turns out to be—is in more danger than any we've ever visited previously. However, you and your friends share many traits with the children of my world that protected it from danger, and I have every confidence that you will be able to stop this evil and remove Porky's influence from your world._**

**_When you get the time, go back to Saturn Valley. Stored there is half my arsenal of weapons and PSI technology. I entrust you to use it wisely, and maybe think of me every now and then. I feel a strong connection between all of you, as you remind me of my earth and the many people I've come to meet there. I sincerely wish you the best of luck in saving that which is dear to you._**

**_Regards,_**

**_Lloyd_**

Kevin gently took the letter from Nazz, reading it over a second time before clutching it to his chest.

"For an old geezer, he was a pretty cool guy," Eddy's Brother said. He looked over at Ed, almost expecting the boy to finish the phrase, but then remembered he was unconscious.

Nazz walked over to the boy and placed a hand on his head. "He's starting to sweat," she said, "and his head's really hot."

Kevin got to his knees next to her, and gave Ed a quick healing spell. His temperature didn't drop. "Must be a psychic fever. We've been getting less and less of them. We're probably running out of abilities that we 'automatically' know, or something."

Kevin gave the boy a pat on the shoulder, and stood up.

"Let's try to find the last mirror piece."

"Are you sure?" Edd asked. "You're the only psychic still conscious here. It normally takes at least three persons with PSI to search the entire earth, if past experience is any indication."

"We can't really go anywhere until Ed wakes up, though," Kevin said. "And with the sanctuary helping, I can probably search a good chunk of the planet at least. Maybe the next sanctuary is close by."

"If you say so," Edd said. The two sat down and joined hands.

"Kh_gay_gh," Eddy's Brother coughed. Nazz elbowed his side, and sat down to join the two.

The three closed their eyes and began to concentrate.

**~γγγγγγ~**

_Ed found himself once again existing in a dark void. He was used to the feeling of his body being an idea rather than a physical _thing_, but the darkness still perturbed him. As with all the times before, he braced himself for something to come at him so that he may realize a new ability to use against it._

_He readied himself for something to charge at him through the darkness, but nothing came. Confused, he looked around the void. His sight settled on a lone figure in the distance. It didn't seem like anything he'd ever come across in his psychic fever dreams before. It approached him slowly, and as it did, Ed felt a well of energy rise up inside him._

**~γγγγγγ~**

Kevin found himself once again expanding his awareness outward, travelling past the island and miles upon miles of ocean faster than he cared to guess. He had grown accustomed to the feeling, and on top of that, his sense faded out after a certain point instead of enveloping the entire planet. Nazz struggled to keep from wincing at all the information rushing to her head so quickly, and Edd quickly got to work dividing the area into manageable chunks. They quickly got to work scanning what they could see to find the last sanctuary.

**~γγγγγγ~**

_The figure came closer and closer to Ed. The boy felt an intense amount of energy well up inside him. If he actually had to breathe in his fever dreams, he would be doing so heavily. The figure wasn't just a malevolent presence this time. It had shape and color, and the closer it drew, the harder it became for Ed to contain the energy swirling inside of himself._

_It was almost close enough for Ed to see clearly. He felt his PSI reach the breaking point, and braced himself for it all to burst out of him at once. Instead, however, he suddenly felt the energy die down. It vanished in small bubbles, leaving him to go somewhere else._

_Ed felt something above him in the void. He looked up to find the blackness above him filled with tiny lights, like a sky full of stars. The person drew closer._

**~γγγγγγ~**

At the edge of his perception, Kevin recognized the Southern Desert. He felt a tiny spec near the middle, and wondered if it was the prison he and Ed had been thrown in. The area was covered in a dark haze. Kevin wondered if the dark spot had grown or if it was just because it was as far as he could perceive.

Something suddenly lashed out at him. Before Kevin could react, he felt a horrible yank on his mind. Gasps from Edd and Nazz told him that they were experiencing the same thing. He felt an inky red tug on his consciousness, trying desperately to pull it out of his body and into the void beyond.

**~γγγγγγ~**

_Eddy._

_Ed gasped, feeling his stomach tighten. Eddy ran toward him, smiling. Oblivious to the danger looming above._

_Before Ed could react, the stars slammed into Eddy, one after the other. They burst on contact, maiming the boy with shards of luminescent rock._

_Rock that Ed had conjured._

_Ed killed Eddy._

"AAAAUUGGHH!"

Ed let out a tremendous scream. The sound hit Kevin and he bolted upright with a sharp gasp. The tendrils around his mind vanished, and Edd and Nazz opened their eyes.

"Ed, what's wrong?" Edd asked.

"I KILLED HIM!" Ed squirmed to his knees, and clawed at his head as his eyes opened wide in shock. "I KILLED EDDY!"

"What do you—" Before Edd could finish, Ed rose to his feet. Several teardrops hit the floor as he screamed and clawed at his head more.

Kevin stood up, and approached the boy. "Ed, you didn't—"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Ed broke into a sprint across the bridge of the sanctuary. Kevin quickly pursued. The others followed behind as the boy ran through the cave, shrieking in fear the whole way.

Kevin gasped when he heard a familiar whirring-gargling noise, and saw that Ed was speeding up in front of him. The cave entrance flew by, and the boy ran into the clearing at a blistering speed. Kevin saw the area light up as a loud _boom_ burst through the air. He stopped in the middle of the clearing, along with everyone else. Ed was gone.

Edd took a few tentative steps forward. He looked at the spot Ed where Ed teleported away, as if he'd come back. He choked down a sob, but couldn't hold back the tears that were already rolling gently down his cheek.

"Oh, Ed…"

* * *

**End Part 6**


	62. Chapter 62

**Part 7**

* * *

**Chapter 62**

* * *

"PK Thunder Gamma!"

Several bolts of lightning streaked low across the grassy ground, zipping toward their target with immense speed.

"PSI Counter!"

The lightning slammed into a yellow surface of shifting, hexagonal tessellations, causing them to light up for an instant. A flash later, the lightning reversed its direction, screaming right back toward its conjurer.

"Psychic Shield!"

The lightning hit another ethereal surface, red instead of yellow, and disappeared into nothing. The barrier dissipated, and a young girl stepped through where it previously existed.

"You're doing great, Sarah!" Jimmy applauded, stepping out from behind his counter. The two met each other in the middle of a grassy terrace, one of many stepping the land of Saturn Valley.

"You're getting better too," Sarah said as the two grasped the other's hand. "Last time it went all over the place instead of just at me."

Jimmy shyly looked to his left, where he saw a Mister Saturn scrubbing away at a soot-covered metal hut. The poor thing was still covered in ash himself, but hummed a cheerful tune as he worked.

Wordlessly, Sarah gently tugged on Jimmy's arm, and he followed her to the entrance of the valley.

"Do you think we're ready to go with Kevin and the others again?" Jimmy asked as they made their way through the dark cave.

"Maybe. I still think you need a little more practice, mister."

The two made their way through the Forbidden Valley for what felt like the umpteenth time. Fortunately, each trek through the dense woods allowed a beaten path to become clearer, and they managed to make it to the cliffside with minimal enemy encounters.  
Soon, Jimmy and Sarah began their descent up the cliff. They were tired from the long walk, but fortunately Edd had been considerate enough to ensure the rope was tied down at both ends and taut, so the two could use it to walk up against the cliffside. When they reached the top, Sarah sighed. The mountainous amphitheater used to be filled with brightly-colored kites swirling around in the warm, circular breeze, but today it was empty. A light sheet of clouds covered the sky, and the air had a slight chill to it.

"Sorry you never got a turn," Jimmy said as they made their way to the other side of the area.

"It's okay," Sarah replied back warmly. "I like just how breezy it is here anyway."

The two scaled to the top of the small mountain, gazing at Rolf's village down below. The villagers were still hard at work reinforcing the town's walls. Squinting, Jimmy noticed Kevin's parents helping pass wooden stakes and rope to those who could use it. Jimmy chuckled at the sight of the two regular-sized adults both being dwarfed by the larger and more muscular villagers around them. As they made their way down the mountain, Jimmy took note of a few large monsters just outside the town's borders. The thick, fortified walls held them back, but they attacked relentlessly.

"Do you think we should fight them off?" Jimmy asked.

"We tried that already," Sarah replied. "They just keep coming. But they give up after a while, remember?"

"Oh, right."

As the two stepped onto a dirt road at the base of the mountain, they heard a familiar low boom ring through the air. Turning to each other and smiling, they raced forward to the source of the sound. Sure enough, they saw Kevin and the others near the town center.

Sarah's excitement died quickly when she noticed who was missing.

Jimmy saw their sagged shoulders and earthward gazes. Kevin looked at the two, and tried to smile.

"H-how did… what happened?" Jimmy managed to ask.

Kevin shook his head, letting his poor facade of success wither. "First thing's first," he said, noting the look on Sarah's face, "Ed's alive. We got the next mirror piece and all that, but he…" He sighed. "I'll explain when we round up Rolf and my parents."

Eddy's Brother glanced at the activity around the town wall, and asked, "So what's going on here?"

Kevin turned to see it as well, and a look of worry spread across his face.

"More and more monsters've been showing up," Sarah explained. "They're getting stronger, too."

Kevin caught a glimpse of his parents as they helped the villagers move tools and lumber, and managed to smile halfway. "All the more reason to finish this mirror and get things back to normal as soon as possible."

**~γγγγγγγ~**

"And then… I'm not sure what happened, really. When we broke from the seance thing, he suddenly started screaming, saying he 'killed Eddy'. He ran off faster than any of us could chase him, and somehow learned to teleport away."

Kevin, Edd, Nazz, Eddy's Brother, Sarah, Jimmy, and Rolf all sat at a large dinner table in Rolf's family cottage, taking a moment to contemplate what Kevin had said.

"Are you sure there's no way to find him?" Sarah asked.

"We've most certainly tried," Edd answered. "Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any way to trace a psychic teleportation. Kevin can sense Ed's PSI and tell that the boy _has_ teleported to or from a particular spot, but there's no way of knowing where he went to or came from."

Sarah sighed nervously, pressing up against Jimmy as she said, "Okay, so can we try looking for him? You can only teleport to places you've been to, right? How many places could he have gone to?"

"That's logical reasoning," Edd said, "but one can't underestimate the human ability to travel on foot. Even if we theoretically could teleport to any place Ed can and we serendipitously happen to pick the very spot he chose to teleport to, by now he could have gone miles away from that specific point."

"Maybe we shouldn't try to find him right now," Kevin said with a deep sigh. Noticing the questioning glare from Sarah, he continued, "The guy probably needs a little space. He's been with me most of the way on this crazy adventure, and it's been no picnic. The stress probably got to him, especially after what happened with Helmy. Let's just let him cool off for a bit."

Another sigh escaped Sarah's mouth. Edd and Eddy's Brother looked similarly crestfallen, their gazes gravitating toward the rough wood floor of the house.

"So what do we do now?" Nazz asked, breaking the silence.

"Let's try to find the sanctuary again," Kevin said. "Now that we have more psychics with us, we might be able to power through the fog."

He stood up, along with the others, and turned to Rolf. "Thanks for letting us stay here, man," Kevin said. Sheepishly, he added, "When this is over, are you and your family going to go back to the cul-de-sac, or stay here? I-I mean I'm cool with whatever, I don't want to force you to go away from your home again—"

Rolf placed a hand on Kevin's shoulder. "Of course Rolf will be coming back to the cul-de-sac. That is his home, as well as the Old Country." He smiled warmly, and said, "In fact, Rolf will join you in searching for the last piece of the terrestrial earth mirror doohicky."

Kevin smiled, and the seven of them headed outside to teleport to the Windy Isle.

**~γγγγγγγ~**

"AUUGH!"

Kevin clasped his hands to his head. He grimaced as an alien presence tried to worm its icy claws into his mind. Fortunately, everyone had broken from the chain just in time, and the darkness eventually left before it could pull their psyches into the void.

"That was fast," Eddy's Brother said from up against the tree.

Edd clenched his eyes shut as he lay on the grassy isle. "I don't think this is a viable tactic anymore," he sputtered.

"It's like something was trying to pull my mind out of me," Jimmy said. "…Again."

"Okay," Eddy's Brother said, "so what's Plan B?"

Kevin looked up at the man, and his expression sank. "I… don't have a Plan B. I don't know what to do anymore."

"Seriously?" Eddy's Brother scoffed. "All this time, you guys were relying on something that clearly was going down the toilet as you went?"

"It's not like we've had many other options," Edd retorted. "Before we even knew what these mirror pieces were, our choices and travels were dictated by circumstance, be it helping a friend in trouble, finding Doctor Andonuts to find out why all of this was happening, or just plain survival. We just hadn't run out of places to go until now."

"We still need to get to Saturn Valley," Nazz said. "Doctor Andonuts left us some things we could use there."

Kevin stood up. "Yeah, he left us weapons and stuff. But what then? Where do we go? What do we do?" He sighed and turned to Eddy's Brother. "You're right. This whole adventure was just us bumbling along from one point to another, either getting dragged somewhere or 'choosing' to find these cruddy mirror pieces or something. It feels like we haven't really done anything."

"Except save no less than three different towns from varying kinds of disaster," Edd replied, "reunite almost all of the cul-de-sac after our parents split us up to different parts of the country—and halfway across the world in Rolf's case—and gather up all but one of the macguffins to make what could very well be the key to saving the world permanently as it begins to fall to pieces. I'd say we did a lot, and we can still do a little more."

Kevin sighed again, placing his thumb and index finger across his tilted forehead. "But what can we do _now_?"

"What we've been doing up to this point; following whatever leads we have until we learn what to do next."

Kevin eventually resigned. "Alright. Saturn Valley it is."

**~γγγγγγγ~**

"ReTUrn CuStOMeRS, yEs? MiSTeR SaTurN gIvE dIScOUnT oN AlL pEAnuT cHeESe bARs, bOInG!"

Eddy's Brother's mouth dropped to the floor. Before him stood a treasure trove of forgotten deliciousness from another era, wrapped in beautiful silver foil behind the counter of a strange little pink creature's improvised shop. Each one simply said "Peanut Cheese" in large, friendly letters across the wrapper, but the man might as well have read them as "pure happiness".

"Holy crap!" he shouted, practically leaping over Edd's head toward the candy. "These things are so friggen good! I thought they stopped making them years ago!"

Edd watched in continuous surprise as the man pulled out his wallet and shoved a wad of cash into the Mister Saturn's face. "I've never seen this side of you before," he uttered.

"Hey, if there's one thing my bro and I had in common, it was good taste in candy." Eddy's Brother grabbed an armful of the stuff, and after a short pause, shifted his arms so that one fell into Edd's hands. "Try one."

Edd let out an automatic "Oh, thank you" before he could be surprised by the man's sudden generosity. He inspected the candy wrapper and, after viewing the nutrition facts printed underneath the flap, nearly dropped it with a cry of disgust. "Good _lord_, it's pure diabetes on a stick!"

"Yeah, why do you think they stopped making 'em?" Eddy's Brother said right before he unwrapped two and dropped them both into his mouth at once.

"I'm suddenly glad that jawbreakers never came with a label," Edd muttered to himself with a shutter. He stepped past Eddy's Brother, who continued to gorge on two more bars while stuffing the rest into his pockets, and approached the Mister Saturn shopkeeper.

"hOW mAy HeLP yOU, BoINg?"

Edd looked at the assortment of items the Mister Saturn had for sale. There were a myriad of pendants, bracelets and charms amongst the candy that were said to have various effects on the wearer's body. Had it not been for Doctor Andonuts's insistence on their legitimacy, Edd wouldn't have given them a second thought.

"I'll take one Great Charm, please." The little pink creature jovially waddled toward the back of the shop and procured a small, colorful pin similar to Kevin's Franklin Badge. Balancing the token on his nose, he waddled back to the counter and cheerfully asked for an exorbitant amount of money.

"That's… quite a lot of money," Edd choked. The look of pure innocence in the creature's eyes was the only thing keeping him from turning to the heavens and screaming a divine accusation of highway robbery to the gods above.

"bUt fOR rEApeAT cuSToMER, mIsTEr SaTUrn giVE hAlF oFf!"

Edd's heartbeat came down to less dangerous speeds. "That's a bit better, I guess. May I try it on before I buy?"

"KaY-oH!" The Mister Saturn flipped the charm from his nose into the air, where Edd scrambled to catch it. As soon as it touched his hands, Edd felt a burst of energy flood his body.

"Oh my," he gasped. He felt lighter, and he bounced from one foot to the other as if he was standing on a trampoline. Smiling, he said, "I'll take it!" He reached into his pockets and pulled out a neat bundle of money.

As he counted out loud the bills he handed to the Mister Saturn, he couldn't help but muse. Here he was, spending more money on one object than he had ever earned in his entire life, and he had gotten it not through a masterful and legendarily successful scam, but through Kevin of all people handing it out to everyone for supplies. He glanced back at Eddy's Brother, chewing complacently on another peanut cheese bar. The man glanced back at him, cocking an eyebrow as he swallowed, and Edd gave a quiet snort as he smiled and turned back around.

"You're a weird kid," he heard from behind.

"My friends have a tendency to rub off on me," he replied.

"CoMe sOoN AGaiN, BoINg!"

**~γγγγγγγ~**

"And then he just teleported into thin air. I don't really know what else to say."

Sarah gave another sigh. She sat with Nazz on the edge of one of the valley's terraces. A gentle breeze passed over her, and she shivered.

"You never realize how much you miss a guy until he goes away and doesn't come back," she said. "Especially if that guy's Ed…"

Nazz scooted closer to her, and wrapped an arm around Sarah's shoulder. "He'll come back. We both know Ed; the dude's indestructible inside and out."

Sarah pursed her lips tightly, and her breathing became heavier. "But what if he isn't?" She shivered again, and scooted away from the terrace edge so she could lean forward and hug her knees. "Ever since the whole incident with Eddy's Brother, I tried being nicer to him. I figured he deserved a break after all they'd been through. I was tired after all the rest of us had been through too. And when the Eds stopped scamming all of us, they turned out to be okay guys. Double-D was nice, Eddy didn't act like a fat head anymore, and Ed…

"I realized just how good of a big brother he really was, even if he was stupid and smelly. I stopped threatening to tell on Mom to get him to do things for me, but he'd do them anyway! He'd share the TV, and let me and Jimmy borrow his stuff, and do some of my chores even though I started doing them myself! So I asked him why he did it, and he said it was because I was his baby sister and he loved me. And after that, I… I…"

She became unable to continue between sobs, and buried her face in her knees as she felt tears run down her face. She felt Nazz tighten her embrace, and took a small comfort as the girl gently stroked her hair while she cried.

**~γγγγγγγ~**

"How's your PSI coming along?"

Rolf, Kevin and Jimmy sat in the hot springs together. Like before, the soothing water washed away dirt and aches and pains Kevin didn't realize he had. The sky above was growing darker, and the wind had a chill to it that made Kevin keep his head close to the warm water as he turned to listen to Jimmy's reply.

"I'm getting a lot better!" Jimmy chimed, his head equally close to the surface of the bath. "Sarah's been a big help getting me to control it again. Now I won't accidentally hit anyone I'm not aiming at."

"Do you think you're ready to rejoin the party?"

Jimmy smiled, and nodded with an "Mmhmm!"

Noticing a Mister Saturn nearby, Kevin swam to the other side of the springs and called, "Hey, can we get some more of that coffee you offered last time?"

The little pink creature tilted to the side and rolled onto the grass with a light thud. "nO Do cAN, aPolOgIEs! cOfFEe boInG WoRK oNe TiME oNLy!"

Lifting his body halfway out of the water, Kevin said, "Can I have another one anyway? Just for old time's sakes?"

The Mister Saturn rolled along the grass until it found itself standing on its nubby little feet again. "OKie-KayOH! GoOD hoST KnOW tHaT CusTOMer Is RiGhT AlWAyS, eVeN wHEn WroNG, ZoOm!"

It then rolled down the hill, leaving the boy feeling confused and slightly insulted. The Mister Saturn quickly came back, however, holding a mug of coffee on its nose with impeccable precision and balance as it bouncily waddled toward the hot springs.

"Thanks," Kevin said, taking the mug from the creature.

"Are you sure it's safe to drink a second time?" Jimmy asked. "I mean, he did say it only works once."

Kevin turned around, holding the mug just above the steaming water. "I don't think it'll hurt to try again. These guys are quirky and kinda dumb on the outside, but Doctor Andonuts trusted them with his life, so I think we can do the same."

Hearing his friends grunt in agreement, Kevin tilted his head back and let the dark liquid flow into his mouth.

**~γγγγγγγ~**

**Kevin,you'realongwayfromhome,aren'tyou? .Caughtupinthisadventurelikealeafinamightystorm,an dyetyouhaven' ?Whenthatcrowstolethejournal, .Andwhatdidyoudo? , .Yourfriendsareheretoguideyou,tohelpyou, . , , . , , . , ,Ed,Edd,Jimmy,andallthosewhomayjoinyouonyourjourne y,Iwishyouluck.**

**~γγγγγγγ~**

Kevin had to blink several times to get his eyes to stop spinning around in confusion.

"….Hhhhhhuh."

"D-did it work?" Jimmy asked.

"Nope," Kevin sputtered. He somewhat carelessly placed the empty mug on the grass at the side of the springs and sighed into the water. "Just a rerun."

"Rolf is very worried."

Kevin and Jimmy turned to Rolf, and he continued, "While you were gone, Kevin, many new monsters have appeared in the Forbidden Valley as well as around the village. Rolf and his fellow men have bravely fought off those which have tried to poach our livestock and invade our borders, but as you have seen, it is becoming a much more serious threat."

Rolf looked up, and a scowl of worried anger spread across his face as he gazed at the blackening sky above. "These clouds are not normal. We are a simple people, Rolf's village, but we know much about the weather and its mysterious workings. Clouds like this only appear to signify something of dread. A battle is going to happen very soon."

The water suddenly didn't feel as warm, and Kevin found himself rubbing his arms beneath it. "The whole world's going to be like this soon, I think," he said. "The second Giygas or whatever is getting stronger by the minute." He gripped his arms tighter, ignoring the pain. "And we don't even know where it is, much less how to stop it."

"First things first," Rolf said. He hoisted himself out of the spring and wrapped one of the nearby towels around himself. Kevin and Jimmy followed suit, and he continued, "We should prepare."

**~γγγγγγγ~**

Party regrouped. Plans made. Letter reread, then reread again. Armaments found: Several bombs and bottle rockets, first aid supplies, and a bazooka. First aid distributed. Bombs split between genius and babysitter. Bazooka heavily debated, then put on hold. Coffee requested. Denied. Supplies double-checked. Bike acquired. Exit Saturn Valley.

An icy wind ran through the empty streets of the Old Country Village, dissipating into nothing as it hit the towering wooden walls surrounding it. While great mountains protected the rear half of the town, its inhabitants stood at the front half. The sky was dark with billowing clouds that refused to give rain or thunder. They simply clung above everyone, casting the world in a dark bubble where nothing outside mattered.

Six children and a man stood at the front of the improvised army of men and women, waiting.

Kevin played through his mind over and over the reassurance that his parents were safe in the village, guarding the livestock with a select few others. The air was cold as it gripped his skin and curled around his trembling body. He gripped his wrench hard, trying to take comfort at how much lighter it seemed compared to when he first used it. His sweaty hands made it harder to hold firmly, however.

His thoughts were dull and cloudy. Against Edd's wishes, he had spent most of his PSI already. Defense Up. Offense Up. Shields, as many as he could make. Lifeup for everyone previously injured. He couldn't stop his hands from trembling.

The air grew deathly still. Kevin looked into the distance and shivered. The plains in the distance turned color. The color of cool green cast in shadow was replaced with murky black.

The color turned into shape. A curtain of darkness spread over the plains toward the village, speckled with flecks of red.

A wave of fear spread over to Kevin, and then to his friends behind him. The dark miasma came close enough to form shapes. The shapes grew more and more defined. Five-pointed. Metallic skin. A geometric insignia on the chest. A visor for a face.

Kevin and the others braced themselves as hundreds of black Starmen charged toward the village.

* * *

_Author's Note: _Blasted site doesn't let you post long words without spaces and butchers them if you try. If you're confused about the coffee scene, go back to chapter 44 and imagine reading the coffee scene there at five times the speed.


	63. Chapter 63

**Chapter 63**

* * *

_"After defeating the Starman Deluxe, Jeff, Ness, Paula and Poo then freed me and the others from our imprisonment. I had never been so proud seeing how much my son had grown in such a short time."_

_"That reminds me; what do you know about the Starmen?"_

_"Quite a lot, I'm afraid."_

Kevin rooted himself into the ground. The army of black Starmen grew closer, like a livid storm cloud charging along the ground. He gripped his wrench with white knuckles and felt everyone behind him tense up as the air grew thick and heavy.

_"Starmen are, in essence, a race of living machines. They were created by Giygas to serve his bidding, and could do so intelligently and autonomously._

_"They can be created initially with a powerful enough burst of PSI, giving them physical form and psychic abilities of their own for as long as they can maintain it."_

_"No wonder they're so tough to fight."_

_"Indeed. And even then, sometimes the task of destroying their physical body is only half the battle."_

_"What do you mean?_

The first of the Starmen charged toward Kevin. It whipped one of its tentacles out at him. He quickly blocked it with his wrench, only to get kicked in the stomach. Kevin staggered backward, but quickly regained his balance. The other Starmen flooded the battlefield around him, clashing with the army of villagers.

Three more joined the one fighting Kevin. He swung his wrench hard and managed to hit one, staggering it back. The other three quickly struck him down with their arms. They knocked Kevin to the ground and pounced on him, furiously beating at his head with their arms and legs. Kevin winced at every blow, struggling to follow his instincts and curl into a defensive ball. The Starmen kicked at his arms and pinned them to the ground, though. One lifted up a metal foot to stomp his head in.

_"The Starmen, while technically artificial constructs, are created with malice and hatred. They are spiteful beings, fiercely loyal to whomever created them but not without their own desires as well. When their physical form is destroyed, their psychic energy occasionally remains behind, like a phantom._

_"The ghost of a Starman is vastly more powerful than the original, driven by a desire for revenge upon whomever destroyed its original body. Their bodies fluctuate between states of physicality and illusion, and their PSI is much more concentrated and haphazard. They're generally pretty rare, but if you do come across one later on, you must exercise extreme caution, as they will be out for nothing but blood."_

_"That's… quite disturbing._

"PK Riding Gamma!"

The battlefield suddenly lit up as if the sun was shining again. Half of the Ghosts of Starmen became encased inside a rainbow of shapes made from light that formed around them. Then, just as quickly as they came, the shapes disappeared, along with the Starmen they ensnared.

_"I apologize. I didn't mean to try to scare you, but rather warn you of the possibility."_

_"You said they have their own desires when not carrying out orders. What are the Starmen like when they aren't on a mission?"_

Kevin lay on the ground. He was no longer being attacked, and several villagers came to protect him against any more threats. He hung onto consciousness as he felt his mind burn in search of more PSI energy. The battle had just started, but he was already spent.

Eyes fluttering, his terrestrial senses began to fade. As they did, he let his psionic one spread. He felt the presence of everyone around him. Sarah and Jimmy fought close together using powerful PSI abilities in conjunction. Jimmy lured a Starman over with a powerful lightning attack, and when it was focused on him, Sarah would strike it dead on with her special ground-based PSI move. Edd fought alongside Rolf, with the former hitting many Starmen at a distance with his cannon and some well-placed bombs while the latter protected them at close range. Eddy's Brother and Nazz provided a second line of defense for the Starmen who rushed straight toward the village. The man would slice through them with his scimitar while Nazz protected him against psychic attacks with her gadgets. And Ed—

"Ed!" Kevin's eyes snapped open. He shot up off the ground, frantically looking around for any hint of green jacket or red-and-white-striped shirt. He found nothing but a lump in his throat, however. Ed's faint presence faded as quickly as it had inexplicably appeared. Kevin stood distraught, but quickly regained focus just in time to get batted to the side by an inky black tentacle.

_"When left to their own devices, they will strive to seek out energy to sustain themselves. If they manage to build a hive, such as the base on my planet or the tower on yours, they can reproduce by themselves to build an army."_

_"I'm guessing Porky created the ones that invaded our Earth, correct?"_

_"Exactly. When we arrived here, Porky immediately put his new plan into motion. He created a few initial Starmen and scattered them around the planet until he found a suitable spot to construct their hive. Fortunately, he put me in charge of designing the architecture for it. While prudent in combat, the Starmen were bad at making tactical decisions on their own. They were so blindly loyal to Porky that they saw nothing wrong with the idea of insulating their base with high-grade explosives wired to a terminal in the prisoner's room."_

The force of the attack sent Kevin flying to the side, where he gracelessly tumbled along the grassy ground until he skidded to a stop. He quickly got to his feet, and in doing so experienced the terrifying feeling of his pockets getting lighter. Before he could check what fell out, however, he saw the Starman Ghost charge toward him. Kevin quickly grabbed for his wrench, but felt empty air where it normally lay in his pocket. With an ethereal roar, the Starman launched a plume of flame toward Kevin. He rolled to the side to dodge it, picking up something off the ground at the same time. The Starman charged toward him, and Kevin immediately swung the object he had picked up.

_"Do we ever have to worry about them building another base?"_

_"I don't believe so. The tower was one of Porky's first priorities, because without a centralized base and a constant supply of energy, the Starmen cannot hold their physical form for very long."_

Kevin felt the momentum in his arms quickly decelerate to a stop, like he had cut into something. A second went by. Kevin looked at what he was holding.

The mirror was embedded halfway into the Starman's chest horizontally. The creature stood as still as Kevin, as if it was also in shock and awe. Kevin noticed the area around him getting brighter, and he looked at the mirror to see it begin to glow. Kevin felt a strange power rushing through him, travelling through his body, up to his arms and into the mirror as it continued to get brighter and brighter.

A chord.

The mirror blasted forth an immense amount of light all at once. The Ghost of Starman immediately turned into a black, vile smoke, which shot into the sky above and disappeared into the clouds.

Kevin stood for a few seconds, frozen in midswing as he tried to process what just happened. The sounds of weapons clashing and people shouting in pain and anger brought him back to his senses.

He ran toward another Ghost of Starman and swung the mirror at it. Like the last time, the object embedded itself within the dark apparition. A moment later, the Starmen disappeared in a blast of light.

Kevin felt a renewed strength. He quickly scurried to his bike, mounting and taking a second to build up speed while holding onto the handle with one hand. In the other he held the mirror.

He zipped around the grassy battlefield, holding the mirror out horizontally beside him. He sliced through Starman after Starman as if the object was an incredibly sharp blade, and those that didn't dissipate shortly after became weak enough to be quickly finished off by someone else.

"We're beating them!" cried a villager as Kevin passed by. The boy took a moment to scan the battlefield. The black Starmen were much fewer in number now, scattered and separated.

And then one of them raised its arms skyward.

_Three._

A chilling whisper travelled through Kevin's thoughts and made him freeze in place. He looked around, and saw the other Starmen who weren't fighting someone raise their arms as well.

_Two._

The whisper became a psychic murmur. The sky above turned from dark gray to pure black, but the ground below began to light up.

"EVERYONE GROUP TOGETHER!" Kevin screamed at the top of his lungs. He sped toward the middle of the battlefield as the villagers spread the word and began huddling toward him. The sky above began to fill with stars, each one cast in a blinding, malevolent light.

_One._

Kevin ignored the mutter as he grabbed Jimmy and Sarah in the middle of the condensing crowd. He explained. They listened, and gave him some of their PSI energy.

Every single one of the Ghosts of Starmen had their arms raised to the sky. They slid across the ground without walking, glaring with malice at the villagers as they formed a circle around the group.

The aliens threw their arms down.

"NOW!"

"PSYCHIC SHIELD OMEGA!"

The stars rained down from above. They flew at a terrifying speed, large enough to crush boulders and buildings. They slammed into a red, ethereal dome covering the whole of the villagers, disappearing upon contact.

"NNGGHH!" Kevin and Sarah had their eyes clenched shut and their teeth gritted as they focused all of their concentration on keeping the shield active. Jimmy, however, had an idea.

"P-PSI Counter!"

A yellow dome formed on top of the red one. The stars slammed into it. Angular shapes exploded outward from the shield, and the star shot away from the dome. It slammed into one of the Ghosts of Starman. Three more stars did the same.

The onslaught went on for a full minute, and then abruptly ended. When it did, the shield and counter disintegrated, and Sarah fell into Jimmy's arms in exhaustion. Kevin leaned up against his bike as well, panting hard as his mind seared.

The Starmen were all gone.

Kevin looked around the battlefield; the grass was cut and scorched and trampled, but there lay no bodies to speak of from either side. The villagers all gave cheers of joy, even the more grievously injured ones. Kevin quickly joined Jimmy and Sarah in healing the wounded, finding that eating some of Eddy's Brothers peanut cheese bars helped them regenerate their PSI more quickly.

Everyone began to file back inside the village. The children and Eddy's Brother followed behind, though Kevin staggered furthest back.

"Are you alright?"

Edd backed up to walk next to Kevin. The boy was sweating and panting himself, but he smiled.

"Yeah. I can't believe there were so many of them."

"We did destroy their hive," Edd explained. "Who knows how many of them were in it when we blew it sky high?"

"Good point." Up ahead, Kevin saw the crowd of villagers throw Rolf into to air, and smiled. With a short "Oh," he pulled the mirror out of his pocket. It was still incomplete, a circle missing a jagged wedge going to the middle, but it gleamed in the lightening day. "Well, we know this is the real deal now," he said. "Don't get why it could cut through those guys like butter though."

"It's as Doctor Andonuts said," Edd replied. "That mirror is the earth's means of defense against invaders. The Starmen—even their ghosts—were not of this planet, so the mirror cast them away." He chuckled, and added, "I would love to study it to see how it works, but I've seen enough of Ed's old movies to know_that_ would be a bad idea."

The two shared a laugh that died young, ending as a sigh.

"Well, I guess it's back to square—"

_One._

The two boys froze. An otherworldly sensation rang through them. Kevin whipped around to see one final Starman on the field behind them, half buried in the ground with its arms pointing toward them.

The area lit up around them. Kevin felt the back of his shirt grow tight as Edd yanked him and his bike back.

The stars slammed down in the exact spot they once stood. Kevin sprawled on the ground in fright, but Edd whirled around and reached into his pocket.

_BLAM!_

The final Ghost of Starman fell face-first onto the grass.

_BLAM! BLAM!_

It disintegrated into smoke.

The kids ahead immediately rushed toward the sound. They came to a panting, trembling Edd, holding a pistol firmly in his hands, aimed where the Starmen once was. He fell to his knees, prompting Jimmy and Nazz to rush to his aid.

"We. Will. _Not_ make that mistake again," he said in between heavy breaths.

**~γγγγγγγ~**

The sky remained a dark gray as the village sprung back to life with activity. Kevin walked his bike as he and the others followed Rolf back to his family's cottage.

"Rolf thanks you! He thanks you all!" Rolf chirped. The boy was covered in scars and bruises that were too big to heal fully, but he had a skip in his step as he lead the party. "For showing his might in combat, Rolf has proven himself a man!" He beamed even wider, and added, "And not only that, but you all have proven yourselves capable men and women in his people's eyes as well!"

Kevin and the others smiled all except for Edd, who wore a crestfallen look on his face.

"What's wrong, man?" Kevin asked.

"Forgive me," he replied. "I'm still a little shaken up."

Kevin's expression dropped as well. "Yeah. At least we won this time. Without losing anyone."

"I guess so," Edd pondered. The two walked in silence with the others for a while, and then Edd said, "To think this whole crazy adventure started with these Starmen."

"Yeah," Kevin sighed. A few seconds passed, and he perked up. "Wait a minute!"

"What is it?" Jimmy asked. The rest of the group had their attention on him now.

"Our whole adventure started with the Starmen," Kevin repeated. "They invaded Peach Creek and burned down the forest."

"Yes, Rolf is quite familiar with these events," Rolf said. "Why do you bring it up?"

"Remember what Doctor Andonuts said, about Starmen looking for places of power to set up shop?" Kevin found himself shivering, and grew more and more tense with each word. "If that was what they were doing when they first came here, why would they hang around a place like Peach Creek?"

"Y-you're not implying," Edd stammered.

"They weren't burning down the forest just for kicks. They were looking for something. They were looking for a giant source of psychic energy."

"A sanctuary," Nazz gasped.

"Doctor Andonuts said that they start off weak and fragile whenever they're first made," Kevin said. "That's why we could take them on at first. We must've driven them out of Peach Creek and into Lime Lake, where they built their base instead." He exhaled in an almost-laugh. "The last sanctuary is back home! It's gotta be!"

The group seemed to light up in excitement. "Well, what're we just standing around here for?" Eddy's Brother said. "Let's get the last part of the friggen vanity collection and save the world!"

"Oh, wait!" Kevin said, mounting his bike. "I've gotta tell my parents first. I'll be right back!" He sped away, toward the other end of the village.

Jimmy, Sarah and Nazz cheered to themselves, eagerly talking about finally coming home. Edd turned to Rolf and Eddy's Brother.

"I hate to be the wet blanket again," he said with a concerned look on his face, "but something tells me that even if the last sanctuary is in Peach Creek, getting to it won't be as easy as walking through the remains of the forest."

"What makes you think that, smart-Edd boy?"

"Yeah. The place's a dump, sure, but you guys told me that after the freaky star robots came, the worst you had to deal with were friggen crows."

"They were very threatening at the time," Edd defended. "But I digress. The gist of my concern stems from past experience. As an 'Ed', with all the experiences and stigma that such a title carries with it, things have never been as easy as they should have. A simple scam goes awry, the wrong people show up at the wrong time, and it feels like the very universe itself conspired to make us work like the dickens for the slightest bit of happiness.

"Now those times are over, of course, but even throughout this journey, that conspiracy still seems to be intact. Nothing is as ever easy or straightforward as it seems on paper. I'm just warning you two, and the rest of you when Kevin gets back; let's hope this is it, but don't let your guard down."

Rolf nodded in agreement, but Eddy's Brother hung his head down as he breathily chuckled.

"And what do you find so funny, brother-of-the-deceased-Ed boy?"

After chuckling for a bit more, the man sighed, "All this time I've been trying to teach my little bro that. And all this time he's already known it. I've never felt so proud and so guilty at the same time.

"Look at me, talking like an old man. I'm just full of crap and regrets." His sighs grew heavier. He covered his face with a hand. "You guys shoulda' just left me to die back there. I deserve it a million times more than he ever could."

Edd clasped a hand on his shoulder. "If we had done that, then you wouldn't have gotten the chance to redeem yourself."

"How the hell could I ever do that?"

"By doing what you can," Edd answered. Eddy's Brother looked at him inquisitively, his eyes turning slightly misty. "Back on Mangosteen, I said that I believed you were a good person deep down. The fact that you've stuck with us this far, helping others and fighting even after reaping your initial reward with no indication of getting anything else for doing more, proves this. The way you're grieving for Eddy proves this."

The man looked Edd in the eye. His normally bored or angry face wore a soft expression, and his eyes were on the verge of tears. He covered his face again just as they broke out and rolled down his cheek. He smiled gently.

"Thanks."

**~γγγγγγγ~**

"So I think the last sanctuary's at Peach Creek. This could be it! We could get rid of all these monsters once and for all!"

Kevin sat with his parents in Rolf's cottage. He nearly bounced in his seat as he talked. "Once we save the world, we'll move back there, right?"

Kevin's mother chuckled. "Of course! But only if you save the world completely. No hiding any leftover monsters in your closet or under the bed!"

Kevin and his father both laughed. "You guys are the greatest," he beamed. "You both've trusted me with so much."

"Well, we didn't have much of a choice," Kevin's father replied. "But you've definitely earned it."

"We're so proud of you, honey," Kevin's mother said.

"For saving the world?"

"That too," she smiled. "But more importantly, you've made so many friends."

Kevin tilted his head to the side. "Really? They were always kinda my friends, Mom."

"Yes, they were 'kinda' your friends. I remember when you'd always complain about Ed and Eddward, and even some of the other kids if they got on your nerves. But now you've said nothing but how much help they've been on your adventure, and how close you've all really gotten now."

Kevin let his shoulders drop. "Huh," he said, "I guess I never thought about it like that." He smiled, and stood up from the table. "I should get going."

"Wait, do you still have that phone I gave you?" Kevin's mother asked.

Kevin felt around in his pockets, and pulled out the device in question. "Yep!"

"Keep it close by." She and Kevin's father both got up themselves, and knelt down to hug him from either side. "Keep safe. We'll be praying for you."

"I thought you weren't religious," Kevin said, raising an eyebrow.

"We aren't, but you don't have to be to pray for someone's safety."

Smiling, Kevin returned the hug to both of them, and then ran out the door to rejoin the others.

**~γγγγγγγ~**

"Are you guys ready?"

Kevin stood before his friends, old and new, watching each and every one of them give a confident gesture of approval. He noticed Rolf among them.

"Are you coming too?"

"Rolf most certainly is!"

"What about your home?"

Rolf smiled. "He is going there with all of you. Rolf wishes to protect both of his homes."

Kevin smiled back. "Right."

Kevin turned away from them and mounted his bike. They all lined up behind him; first Edd, then Jimmy, Nazz, Eddy's Brother, Sarah, and finally, Rolf. Kevin pushed on the pedals and accelerated forward. He focused on the image of the cul-de-sac, on his home. As he sped up, the image in his head grew clearer and clearer as the whirring-gargling got louder and louder. The image grew in front of him, like at any moment it would spring from his head and become his new surroundings as he teleported—

_FOOOM!_

A wave of darkness slammed into Kevin like a truck. He tumbled backwards off of his bike, rolling along the dirt road of the village. Everyone behind him similarly tripped, and the seven of them smeared the earth with dark soot as they were all blown back. They all quickly came to a painful stop.

"Wh-what happened?" Edd coughed.

"I—I don't know," Kevin said. "I don't think we hit something."

"I felt something awful just before we tripped," Jimmy said. "Like there was something dark pushing us back."

"I think I felt it too," Kevin said. "Hang on a sec." He stood up and mounted his bike again. He sped down the road, trying to teleport to Peach Creek on his own. Just as he would normally disappear in a flash of light, however, the loud boom would suddenly stop, and he'd get flung backwards through the air in an explosion of ash.

"Well _that_ ain't good," Eddy's Brother said. "Can ya teleport anywhere besides Peach Creek?"

Kevin quickly brushed himself off and mended his scrapes. "Yeah, let's try that." He attempted to teleport again, and this time he succeeded in disappearing from the area. A minute later, he teleported back unscathed.

"So we can't go directly to Peach Creek for some reason, but we can at least get as far as Lemon Brook," he said.

"I guess we'll just have to hike down there," Edd said. "We've had to travel farther before, anyway."

"Let's get going, then," Nazz said. Readying the entourage once again, Kevin led them as he teleported once again.

Watching them as they disappeared, Kevin's mother hugged her arms.

"Please be safe."


	64. Chapter 64

**Chapter 64**

* * *

"This is actually kinda nice."

The group hiked through a sparse forest, keeping next to the brook that would eventually become their hometown's eponymous creek. The place was silent save for the gentle sounds of the river, and the sky above them was a solid gray. The air was warm, growing colder near the water as it occasionally sprayed up upon hitting a rock.

"It feels like we're getting close to home," Nazz chimed. She gently elbowed Eddy's Brother next to her and said, "Feeling nostalgic yet?"

"As if," the man smirked. "Peach Creek's a dump."

"It most certainly feels that way after experiencing the epitome of quality and luxury that was your whaling dingy," Edd remarked snidely.

"Yeah. I bet you crashed it just out of jealousy."

Edd chuckled. "But of course, as we—"

The boy froze in midstep, every muscle in his entire body tightening at once. His eyes constricted. He began to sweat.

"Whoa, are you ok—" Kevin felt a clammy palm slap over his mouth. He was forced to kneel close to the ground as Edd madly but silently gestured for the others to do the same.

"What's going on?" Kevin whispered through the boy's hand.

"N-no," Edd gasped. "I-i-i-i-it c-c-can't be."

The boy whipped his head around, as if trying to see as much of his surroundings as possible. Kevin saw Eddy's Brother suddenly begin to mirror Edd's movements, his own stature becoming just as erratic and frightened. Before Kevin could question again, his ears twitched. He heard something, very faint, from an indeterminable place.

He heard giggling.

Just as he registered what caused Edd to break down in fear, the air filled with a sudden demonic chord of delighted yells. He looked up to see three bodies descending from the heavens.

"AAAAGGGHH!" Edd screamed. He and Eddy's Brother both shot up and broke into a sprint, but they were too late.

The Kanker sisters pounced on them, with Marie tackling Edd to the ground and May and Lee latching onto Eddy's Brother has he tried and failed to stay standing.

"The Kankers?!" Kevin shouted.

"Well well well, if it isn't the neighborhood of pansies!" Lee mocked as she sat on Eddy's Brother's back. "Finally get over your fear of birds, did ya?"

"You've got a lot of nerve," Marie scolded as she pinned Edd to the ground, "running off and leaving your girlfriend behind! You've got _weeks_ of smooch time to make up for!"

"HELP!" Edd croaked. He craned his head as far as he could to try to look at Kevin. "Don't just stand there, blast them! Use PK Riding! Flash! Hit them with your wrench! _ANYTHING_!"

Eddy's Brother ignored his own situation to stare at the boy next to him in utter shock.

"Let them go, guys," Kevin said. "We need to get back to Peach Creek as soon as possible."

"Why the rush?" May asked. "You guys all ran away just because of a few crows. Why are you all coming back now?"

Edd and Eddy's Brother seemed to calm down enough to give each other confused looks.

"Wait," Kevin said, scrunching his face in confusion. "You think we left just because of the Spiteful Crows?"

"Uh, yeah," Marie said. "Why, is there some other reason you guys all turned into pansies?"

"You haven't heard of… anything else going on? Anything besides the crows out of the ordinary?"

"What the heck are you on about?" Lee asked.

Kevin and the others let their shoulders sag in a stupor. "Where have you guys _been_ the past few weeks?"

"On vacation, stupid!" Marie chided. "Mom saw all of you leaving so we all pushed the trailer outta town for a bit. It's how we take vacations!"

Kevin narrowed his eyes. "What about that time you parked in Eddy's front yard?"

"That was a special trip just for us girls when Mom went away on tour with her 'manager'," Lee explained. Turning her head to look around, she added, "Speaking of which, just where is my little man?"

"Yeah, and where's my _big_ man?" May asked.

The whole area seemed to grow dimmer. The three Kankers looked to see everyone deflate. Even their captives stopped struggling from their confinement.

The girls looked at each other in confusion until Kevin spoke up. "We've got a lot of things to explain to you three."

**~γγγγγγγ~**

The party quickly regrouped in the Kankers' trailer living room, where Kevin told his story one final time. The sisters were hesitant to believe it at first, mocking the idea of PSI until Kevin and Sarah gave demonstrations and disbelieving everything he said until everyone involved gave their own testimony. It wasn't until the end that Eddy's Brother managed to convince Lee that Eddy was truly dead, and for Edd to convince May that Ed was missing.

When all questions had been answered, when the whole story had been told, the three sisters simply sat in silence. Their faces shifted around, as if a flood of various emotions were cycling through them. Confused. Angry. Bitter. Contemplative. Eventually, they stared at one another, and grouped into a huddle away from everyone else. Kevin heard in their whispers questions, points brought up, discussed, and shot down, snide remarks tinged with confusion and depression, and finally, an agreement.

The Kankers broke from their huddle and turned toward the group.

"Alright," Lee said, "We ain't got a clue whether you're making this all up or not, but there's clearly something going on here. All I know is that you're all lovey-dovey with each other and two of our boyfriends are gone, and that's not something we're gonna just sit by."

"We could use your help," Edd explained. "I've a feeling that this final sanctuary won't be as straightforward as it seems." He took a moment to gulp before nervously asking, "Believe it or not—a-and don't take this as a challenge or statement about your strength and competence on your own, o-of course—but you three will probably need w-weapons."

The three sisters looked at Edd, their eyes half-lidded in unamusement. They briefly glanced at each other, and then reached behind their backs. Lee pulled out a large swordfish, Marie produced an old, rusty shaving razor, and May conjured an enormous sledgehammer. The three looked back at Edd without changing expressions.

Feeling all color drain from his face, Edd uttered, "I… I see."

"Alright," Kevin said, turning toward the door, "Let's go—"

He tripped over a half-eaten sandwich on the floor, and found himself unable to catch himself from stumbling to his knees. A large pant left him, and he realized in waves of exhaustion that he was incredibly tired.

"You don't look like you're in shape to go anywhere, bub," Lee said.

Edd and Nazz helped Kevin up, feeling wobbliness in their own legs as well. "We didn't rest for very long after that battle with the Starmen. I don't even know how long we've been awake today either, what with all the teleporting to different time zones."

"You guys wanna take a nap here or something?" Marie asked.

"Yeah, like you harpies have anything in the way of hospitality," Eddy's Brother scoffed.

"Excuse me?" Lee stomped toward the man, the two standing at equal height. "Who're you calling unhospitalitable?"

"Wanna prove me wrong?" Eddy's Brother retorted.

Though they were completely obscured by her thick, curly hair, Kevin could just feel Lee's eyes narrowing in a scowl.

"Get out the smelter, girls. We're having hot chocolate tonight. With guests!"

Marie and May turned to each other, a big smile growing on their faces with a gasp. They let out a whoop of excitement as they bolted toward the kitchen.

A puzzled and somewhat horrified Edd spoke up. "You make hot chocolate with _what_?"

**~γγγγγγγ~**

The kitchen could've been an active construction site for all the noise the Kanker sisters made as they violently worked inside it. They forbade all the others from looking to see what they were doing in there. Edd and everyone else tried their best not to imagine it.

Instead, they talked. Sprawled and scattered throughout the living room, the kids rested and chatted. Jimmy and Sarah played a game together, creating a floating little ball of light with PSI and batting it back and forth. Kevin lay face down on the couch, doing his best to ignore the faint odor coming from it as he talked with Rolf. Edd, Nazz and Eddy's Brother started a conversation about how the man came to be a Whaler and somehow ended up discussing the ethics of what sorts of ingredients go into perfume and makeup.

They talked. They laughed. They made fun of one another and themselves. Their previous grievances, their rivalries and disagreements suddenly didn't matter. Even the Kanker sisters joined in, their concoction in the kitchen reaching the point that only one had to tend to it at a time.

Through the warmness of the room, Kevin felt his eyes droop. Deep inside him, in the back of his mind, just beneath the surface of his body, he faintly felt an immense exhaustion. It was just on the fringe of his senses, but he kept it back and found strength and energy around his friends.

After an hour of rest, Marie burst through the kitchen door. "It's ready!"

**~γγγγγγγ~**

"Drink up!"

Kevin stared at the large mug of creamy brown liquid in front of him, perplexed as everyone else sitting at the table in the trailer kitchen.

"My, I've never seen hot chocolate… made this way," Edd mused.

"We only make it for special occasions." She turned to Eddy's Brother with a smug smirk. "It's the Kanker family's secret recipe."

Kevin looked toward the kitchen, where an old, rusty portable smelting machine lay next to a garbage can filled to the brim with a mountain of candy wrappers. He raised an eyebrow, but smiled it off and turned back to the mug before him.

"I must say," Edd remarked, "I've never seen this side of you three. Well, not since the first time we, erm, met, of course, but that was under different circumstances."

"We thought that you all maybe left 'cause of us," Marie said, turning a somewhat remorseful eye away from Edd.

"Well, we're all here now," Kevin said. "And once we get to that last sanctuary, we'll stay here for good!" He raised his mug, and the others raised theirs to clink it. After the toast, Kevin brought the mug to his lips and let the warm, sweet liquid pour into his mouth.

**~γγγγγγγ~**

**Kevin, look how far you've come.**

**You are no longer the boy who would get swept up in adventure before he knew it.**

**No longer the boy who blames his friends,**

**who hates his enemies.**

**You have turned a new leaf.**

**One of understanding and compassion.**

**Look how many friends you have around you.**

**You can protect them, and even more importantly,**

**you can help them protect themselves and each other.**

**And they will protect you.**

**You. Who are you?**

**Your journey is reaching its last leg.**

**You are at the final stretch.**

**But you cannot reach your destination until you can answer,**

**who are you?**

**It is more important to know than you think.**

**Think hard,**

**search deep within yourself.**

**The answer is waiting to be found.**

**~γγγγγγγ~**

**When you finish this cup of hot chocolate, your adventure will reach its final leg.**

**Your final trials await.**

**Be strong!**

**Kevin!**

**Kanker Sisters!**

**Children of the Cul-De-Sac, past and present!**

**I wish you luck…**


	65. Chapter 65

**Chapter 65**

* * *

Ed said nothing.

He ran. He never stopped running. All he did was run, run run.

The landscape blurred around him, changing shape and weather and color and smell and hating Ed with every step he took hurting his sore and blistered feet making him want to run and get away but he just couldn't…

Augh. Ed's mind was racing. He hated it. So many thoughts rushing through his head, all of them reminding him.

You killed Eddy. You killed Eddy. You killed Eddy.

His head hurt just as much as it was hurting him. How long was it since he started running?

He tried to look ahead. The landscape kept changing. Forests. Grasslands. Snowy mountains. Bustling cities. Deserts. That giant rock with the remains of a car wedged in it looks familiar…

He didn't dare stop. He didn't dare let his raging thoughts catch up with him. His mind felt numb. He wanted to curl into a ball and disappear, but that would mean he would have to stop running.

I killed Eddy. I killed Eddy. I killed Eddy.

**You did no such thing.**

Ed tripped. His face plowed into a soft patch of grass that was just coming back to life after having been deprived of the sun for so long. The sensation shook him. He tensed up all of his aching muscles at once, shivering as he lay in a cool, sunny field.

**It is okay. You are safe.**

A ghostly voice rang in Ed's head. It felt like warm butter, gentle and soothing against his whirlwind of thoughts.

**Your mind is incredibly troubled and your body is almost at its limit. What on earth happened to you?**

His thoughts began to calm down as the presence slowly began to sort them out. When he could finally think again, he realized that he was completely exhausted. He felt his body go limp, his sight fading in and out as his head pounded and pounded.

**It's me. It's all my fault. I… I… I killed…**

The presence in Ed's head turned sadder. **You did no such thing. Your mind is playing tricks on you.**

**B-but I… the stars…**

**You've learned an incredibly powerful PSI ability. Your body is surging with energy it has never had before.**

Colors flashed before Ed's eyes. Brilliant, fiery colors, raining down from above.

Smashing Eddy into the concrete.

Ed screamed.

The voice grew worried. **You're tricking yourself into thinking that you killed Eddy with this power! You know that isn't true. You need to accept this power, or it'll consume you!**

Ed's breaths became quicker and quicker. He shuffled around on the ground, contorting his arms and legs in furious spasms.

**But I… Eddy, he…**

**Eddy is gone. You have to accept that there's nothing you could have done. It's not your fault!**

**B-but he's not gone! He's…he's Helmy! He's alive, but not himself!"**

Ed slapped his arms on the grassy ground, eventually finding the control to lift himself onto his feet. He stumbled a few steps, and he felt the voice grow alarmed.

**Where are you going?**

**I'm going where Eddy isn't.**

Ed broke into a sprint.

**Ed, the place you're thinking of teleporting to… it's not on Earth!**

**I'll prove that he's not dead!**

**Ed, wait!**

Ed vanished into thin air.

A few miles away, a young girl, not even a year old, began to cry. She was quick to alert her mother, who quickly came into the room and picked her up.

"There there, Caroline," the girl's mother whispered, "Everything will be alright."

The infant stopped sobbing, but tears rolled from her eyes as she looked around for someone that was no longer there.

**~γγγγγγγ~**

"You."

The cul-de-sac was bathed in gray and silence. The sky was solid and colorless. A gigantic sheath of lifeless clouds that cast the area in a dome, as if it was trying to trap them inside. The houses lay still in their circle, resting in the ground like totems of what once was. The trees were absolutely still; not a single leaf stirred. The grass was overgrown and dying all at the same time. The concrete was icy and hard. The air still smelt of the fire that demolished half of the forest. It was as if the smoke had never left.

He stood in the middle of the circle, the centerpiece of the cruel homage to a home that once was. His clothes black. His gloves black. His helmet cracked. It reflected the faces of ten denizens of Peach Creek.

Kevin took a step forward, walking his bike alongside him.

"Just who are you?"

Helmy gave no response. He stood in a slight slouch, his shoulders sagged, his arms hanging limply from them. Edd could see him faintly trembling, as if he was nervous. Or excited.

"You tried to capture us, then kill us, and then kill those around us," Kevin continued. "I don't give a single crap whether it's only because Porky told you to. Porky's not here to command you anymore. What are you going to do now?"

Helmy took a step forward, almost stumbling as he did. He took another, and lifted two glowing fingers up next to each other.

Kevin mirrored the action, retaining a frown as he said, "Alright then."

The cul-de-sac lit up.

**~γγγγγγγ~**

Ed was met with an immense force slamming into him like an enormous burst of wind. The threshold he passed looked like a burst of color bathed in a loud rush of air. His feet landed on cool stone, and his form took a moment to become whole. Ed fell to his knees, panting. His head continued to throb, his face soaked in sweat and tears.

He blinked, and looked up. An aura of sadness and despair permeated the air around him. Several buildings sprouted from the stony ground, with architectures splattered around at random as if they were drops of paint. He turned to his left, and found a large, circular pool. The water was absolutely still, reflecting the ethereal blue sky above.

Ed looked around Pomegranate Pool. Men. Women. Old. Young. All dead. None of them were Eddy. What was I thinking? Ed curled up on the ground, sobbing as he hugged his knees. Eddy was gone. His friends are gone. Why did he come here? What was I thinking? I never _think_. I'm so slow and stupid and—

"Ed, is that you?"

A man's voice rang out. Ed didn't move. Someone knelt next to him, placing a hand on the boy's arm.

"My goodness, it is you! Ed, what's wrong?" After a few seconds of no reply, the man continued, "It's me, Adam! You're… you're still alive. How did you get here? Where are your friends?"

"G-gone," Ed whispered. "I—I left them. I killed Eddy, but I didn't, so I went to where I knew he wasn't and he's… he's supposed to be dead, but he's Helmy, a-and I… I didn't think. I'm slow and stupid and I never think!"

He felt a hand gently rubbing his back, but otherwise didn't hear Adam respond. Seconds went by, forming minutes, during all of which Ed cried in a place that cried with him. When he was out of tears, he finally sat up, and found the strength to look Adam in the face.

The man gave a gentle smile. "Do you think you could tell me what happened to you?"

Choking down a final sob, Ed nodded.

**~γγγγγγγ~**

"Gah!"

Kevin felt his body get thrown back as an incredible force slammed into him. He bounced and rolled along the street before coming to a stop. Just as he got to his feet, Helmy was already in front of him. Kevin felt a knee slam into his gut from below, knocking him upward into the air. He quickly regained his bearings to land on his feet and hands.

Helmy prepared for another blazing attack. He stepped left. Right. Jumped into the air. He was knocked away by Edd's cooking pot cannon.

Kevin felt his scrapes fading. He smiled at Jimmy, and returned the favor for him.

The Kankers had engaged Helmy now. Just as the momentum from Edd's cannon wore off, he received a sledgehammer to a hastily-erected shield. He summoned more as the Kankers furiously pounded at him with their weapons.

Taking advantage of the time they bought, Kevin scanned the battlefield. Already the street was cracked and several trees were on fire from the intense PSI attacks that had been exchanged. When he wasn't assisting anyone who needed it, Jimmy was tending to Sarah, who had been knocked unconscious early on. Eddy's Brother was also badly wounded, having received a deep gash on his shoulder. Kevin went to heal it.

"This guy just doesn't give up," the man said, rubbing where the wound was a second ago.

"Porky's last orders were to kill us," Kevin replied. "If he really is the guy's mindless slave, he won't rest until we're all dead."

He pursed his lips as he thought back to their last battle. He had hardly fought at all, leaving it to poor Ed to take the abuse. "Oh, Ed…"

He looked back at Helmy. His shields had dissipated, and he was now frantically dancing around the Kankers' attacks while Edd tried to attack from a distance. Kevin had entrusted him with holding onto Eddy's wallet.

"Could he really be…?"

**~γγγγγγγ~**

"And you… you managed to teleport here?"

Ed nodded. He and Adam sat on a bench near the edge of the pool together.

"Well, I guess this is as good of a place as any to come to terms with yourself," the man said. "That's what this place is for."

"I… I still want proof," Ed said. "I want proof that Eddy's…"

"I never saw him around here," Adam said. "But you have to understand. A lot of people die every day, and they can stay here anywhere from a few days to years. This place must be big enough to handle it all. Eddy could have been anywhere around here. He might still be, in fact."

Ed shook his head. "I can't feel him anywhere here. I focus and I try to find him, but if I reach out far enough I just end up coming back where I started. This place doesn't go on forever; it just loops around and around."

His eyes sank toward the water, and he stood up. Adam saw a look of desperate curiosity spread across the boy's face. "But there's one place."

Adam followed Ed's eyes, and his own eyes widened in shock.

Ed didn't have a reflection.

"Ed," Adam said, standing up next to the boy. "Listen to me, Ed. You didn't enter here through the pool like last time. You need to leave the same way you came."

The boy's eyes remained fixated on the pool.

"Look! You don't have a reflection anymore, Ed. You're still alive, so there's no way of knowing what'll happen if you go in there," Adam said. "You could end up dying and crossing straight into the afterlife! And if you did that without healing your soul here first…" He placed a hand on Ed's shoulder, but it was quickly shaken off.

"I have to know!"

"Ed, no!"

The boy jumped into the pool and vanished into the darkness below the surface.

**~γγγγγγγ~**

"Wh-why…?"

Kevin lay on his back, a black shoe planted firmly in his stomach. He had tripped on a damaged part of the sidewalk, and gave his opponent an opening. He coughed, and felt a few drops of blood splatter on his face as his head jerked and hit the broken concrete behind it. Helmy stood over him, his knife poised to strike. His entire body trembled slightly, but there was no hesitation in his actions. His helmet was so badly cracked and fractured that Kevin could barely make out a reflection in it anymore.

Kevin kept all his concentration on Helmy, making sure not to accidentally tip him off to the cooking pot rocketing toward him.

_SMAAAAASH!_

The attack connected, slamming Helmy toward the center of the cul-de-sac and away from Kevin. Jimmy gave him a helping hand as Edd followed through with the attack.

"He's getting more and more careless," Kevin said as Nazz and Rolf headed toward him to rest. Eddy's Brother and Edd teamed up to hold Helmy off while Sarah helped the Kanker sisters recuperate. The man jittered and swung his arms about as he moved, as if he was simply just stumbling around on accident rather than purposely dodging attacks coming his way. But then, after a certain period, his body would lock up and he would launch a vicious attack at whoever was closest.

Edd ran sideways, strafing to get behind Helmy while the crazed man focused on Eddy's Brother.

"Alright, Edd, you can do this. You just need one more—"

Helmy whirled around, snapping his gaze on Edd. A sudden blinding light burst from the man, forcing Edd to shut his eyes. A wave of heat told him that a plume of flame was coming his way. He moved to jump to the side, only to feel the terrifying sensation of his foot getting caught on something and yanking him to a halt.

As the heat began to scald his face, he felt the collar of his shirt tighten. He felt himself suddenly fly through the air and away from the fire.

"You okay?" he heard Eddy's Brother say. Edd opened his eyes, and nodded with a grunt.

Edd felt a wisp of air brush up against his sweaty hand, and he gasped. "My weapon!" He looked back at the scorched section of pavement and saw a partially-melted cooking pot laying in a mess of ash and burnt metal.

A crackling noise turned the boy's attention back to Helmy. The man slowly moved his arms in a wide arc around him, lightning streaking from his fingertips. His motions became faster and faster, and he quickly burst into a mad dance as the crackling grew louder. The lightning began to surround him as he continued to shift and sway.

Then suddenly, Helmy grew still. A moment later, he shot out an arm toward Edd and Eddy's Brother. An enormous bolt of lightning burst from his fingertips.

Kevin intercepted.

He stood, rooted in front of his friends. His clothes flapped and swayed madly around him as wind rushed around in every direction. A brilliant light emanated all around him, casting the cul-de-sac in a glow. The lightning swirled around the brim of his hat, around his Franklin Badge, for a few deafening seconds before it shot back at the one who summoned it.

Helmy took a step back. He threw up a psychic shield in front of him. The lightning smashed through it. Helmy took moderate damage.

"HAAAAAAA!" Kevin charged toward Helmy, his wrench in hand. He swung it toward Helmy, who managed to weakly parry it with his knife. The two began to swing at each other, quickly dodging the other's weapon while trying to land in a hit.

Kevin swung horizontally at Helmy, who ducked. He felt something hit his feet, and he yelped as he lost his balance and fell to the ground. Helmy got up from swiping Kevin's legs and didn't hesitate to strike with his knife.

_BLAM!_

The man didn't make a sound, but Kevin noticed he had stopped attacking. He stumbled back. His thigh was bleeding. Kevin made a quick glance toward Edd, who was wielding his pistol. He nodded, and Kevin nodded back.

As Helmy struggled to regain his balance, Kevin brandished his wrench.

"Who the hell are you?!"

With a mighty upward swing, Kevin hit the bottom of Helmy's helmet with his wrench. It came off, flying through the air for a single second before landing on the concrete with an unceremonious _thud_.

Everything went still for a moment. Kevin looked up at the unmasked man, and saw…

**~γγγγγγγ~**

"Eddy?!"

Ed saw him. Stout figure. Yellow shirt. Three long hairs that sprouted from his otherwise bald head. Ed remembered the way he smelled. A faint stench of cheap cologne. Of fresh cut grass and warm summer air as the two stood vigilantly at a booth together, hoping to draw in customers for their first ever scam. But all around him was black. A darkness that felt close enough to touch. It stretched in two directions; backward, and forward. There was only the two of them. One from one direction. One from the other. Floating in nothing. He was looking right at Ed. Ed _saw_ him.

"Hey there, big guy." His voice was neither loud nor angry, but it was most definitely _his_. A gentle smile appeared on his face.

"Y—you're…"

"Heh, forget about me already, did ya?"

"E-Eddy!" Ed _saw_ him. He moved towards him with a thought rather than a muscle. Through the darkness. Away from one end. Closer to the other. Towards him. Towards Eddy.

He wrapped his arms around the boy.

"Good to see you again, Lumpy," Eddy said, returning the embrace. They held onto each other for a while. The darkness around them turned into memories. The cul-de-sac. Summer grass. Things to build. People to hide from. The clinking of quarters dropping into a glass jar. Everything went wrong. But that was always okay, because they had each other. The days ended. The nights were so warm. Sometimes it wasn't about the money. They once caught fireflies. And slept underneath the stars together.

As their minds were reflected in the darkness around them, Ed finally asked, "Why are you here? Are… are you dead?"

Eddy gently broke away from the embrace so he could look Ed in the eyes. "Yep. Dead as a doornail. You know, I don't even know what a doornail is. You should ask Double-D sometime."

"B-but… You're not in Pomegranate Pool! You're…"

"Beyond?" Eddy's eyes turned downcast, but he retained his smile. "Yeah, I moved on pretty quickly, to be honest."

Ed swallowed a lump in his throat. "But why?"

Eddy closed his eyes. He kept smiling. "Because frankly, there ain't much I had in the way of regretting stuff. All my life, I was the outcast, the lame kid who always tried the scam everyone else because my brother told me that that was all I could ever do in life. I had you and Double-D, of course, and that made my life worth living. You guys were always there for me, and then we had that whole big adventure with my brother, and lo and behold, everyone else was there for me as well.

"After that, I had everything I ever really wanted. I died happy, all things considered. Yeah, there were still regrets; I'd never see what I'd be like as an adult, though you guys know me. I'd probably just end up bumming off of everyone. And I miss you guys, of course! But I know you all cared. I feel warm and loved now, and once you're dead, that's all you really need."

Eddy's smile widened, and he put his hands on Ed's shoulders. "And in here—or back there, I should say," he pointed a thumb behind him, toward the other end of the tunnel, "—I can see what you guys are up to. I saw your whole adventure with Kevin and Double-D and them."

Ed had to swallow harder to keep the sobs down. He blinked, and a few tears let loose from his eyes and drifted into the nothing around them.

"And look how strong you are!"

Surprised, Ed uttered a questioning "Uh?" that was partially choked by a sob.

"Yeah, man! Just look at yourself." As Eddy spoke, the darkness around them shifted. Ed saw visions of himself. He saw himself holding off lizard monsters with Kevin and Edd in the desert. He saw himself using PSI to defend the others. He saw himself talking to Stephen Reichison for the first time. Then to Doctor Andonuts.

"You can pummel enemies into submission with a frying pan. You can summon fire and lightning and ice from your fingertips and use it to protect people around you. You can practically read people's minds and tell what they're thinking and how they're feeling. Geese, Ed, you're practically a superhero! Why aren't you with Double-D and Kevin, kicking butt and saving the world together?"

Ed couldn't hold back the sobs any longer. "B-but I… I miss you! I can't go on without you, Eddy! You're m-my friend!"

"Sure you can, big guy! You gotta be strong, yeah, but we both know you've got that covered." Eddy placed his hands on Ed's arms. "And isn't Double-D your friend too? And Kevin, Jimmy, and Rolf and Nazz. Heck, you're even getting along with Sarah of all people now! They're all your friends, and right now they need you."

Ed was the one to break away from the embrace this time. "B-but, my power. The PSI I l-learned, it was the thing that… that…"

"It doesn't matter what someone else used it for," Eddy reassured. "Like I said, you're a superhero! You use your powers for good, and that's all that counts!" His smile briefly turned into a smirk as he added, "And if something like that took down a stud like me, you _know_ it's gotta be good!"

Ed's sobs stopped. A bittersweet smile slowly grew on his face.

"Do you remember that time, back in the glacier when you and Kevin and Double-D and Jimmy were all fighting that giant ice monster?"

Ed nodded.

"When you guys gave Kevin your energy and your trust, I did too. If I try hard enough, I can make just a faint presence of sorts in the real world. I can't come back as a ghost or anything—I'm too at peace with myself to do that—but basically, what I'm saying is that I'm watching you guys, and you're making me proud to have been—to _be_ your guys's friend."

Ed's smile grew, but the tears didn't stop. Eddy gently swatted them away, his own smile never wavering.

"You should get going soon. Everyone needs your help fighting Helmy."

"That's right!" Ed said, perking up. "Helmy is…"

"He ain't me," Eddy said. Ed opened his mouth, but he added, "And he isn't possessing my body either. Come on, do ya really think that _I'd_ have psychic powers too?"

"B-but," Ed stammered, "he had your wallet! He knew who we were!"

For the first time, Eddy's smile disappeared. "And you really think that I'm the only one who could've come across my wallet back in Peach Creek?"

"I… I don't…"

Eddy's face turned crestfallen. "You're forgetting about someone. Everyone is. You're not going to like it once I tell you who Helmy really is."

"Who is he then?" Ed asked.

Just a moment before Eddy confirmed it, Ed knew the answer. He gasped in horror.

"They need your help," Eddy said. "Go to them."

Ed nodded. He felt his eyes mist up again, but Eddy placed a hand on his shoulder.

"No more crying, okay big guy?"

Upon hearing those words, Ed felt his tears receding. He nodded.

"You know where they are, right?" The darkness around them turned to an image of Peach Creek. "You'll need a boost if you wanna teleport there directly."

Ed felt a warmth in his mind. Before him, Eddy began to glow. Without moving, he felt a rush move around him. Energy welled up inside him as it built up speed around him, and Eddy grew brighter.

Ed gasped. "Will I ever see you again?"

Eddy simply smiled.

The energy blasted the darkness away from Ed, and he felt the rush of teleportation. Colors burst past him as he felt himself being hurled through another spatial dimension. Up ahead, the color turned into a wall of darkness, but Ed had so much energy surrounding him that he drilled through the turbulence.

Ed fought through the darkness, driven by a determination he had never felt before. He had to help his friends. And he had to see it for himself. See that Helmy really was…

**~γγγγγγγ~**

"J-Jonny?"

The helmet smacked into the ground, bouncing a few times before coming to a stop. The visor had completely caved in from the impact, leaving only a few shards of glass where it used to be.

Kevin stood before his unmasked opponent, who had fallen to the ground from Kevin's attack.. His skin was ghostly pale. His head was large and bald, with only a few short, brown strands sprouting from the top. His eyes were clenched shut, as if he was shielding them from a bright light.

"J-Jonny, y-you—"

The boy's eyes snapped open, making Kevin gasp in shock. They were bloodshot and baggy. His pupils were constricted so much that they looked like tiny pricks. He bore his teeth and jumped to his feet.

"Jonn—-"

He thrust his arm forward and jammed his knife into Kevin's stomach. The shock made Kevin bite his tongue, and a few flecks of blood flew from his mouth onto Jonny's face.

"Kevin!"

Nazz sprinted toward Kevin, preparing herself to jump and kick Jonny out of the way.

Jonny's eyes snapped toward her.

Nazz barely had time to gasp as an icy wind blew her back. She yelled in pain as the PK Freeze pushed her back and froze her skin at the same time.

Jonny turned his attention toward the others.

"What on earth's gotten into you?" Edd asked. He trembled slightly as he gazed into the boy's mad stare.

Jonny didn't answer. Instead, he took a step to the left, then to the right. He dashed back to the left, then danced back toward the right.

Then he was mere inches from Edd's shocked face. Edd felt a wave of terror rise up in him. His body froze up, and all he could do was stare at the boy. Into his eyes. Into the pinpricks that could have been pupils once upon a time. Into the boy's soul.

There was nothing.

Edd couldn't breathe. There was a gloved hand clasping his throat. Jonny's eyes were absolutely empty. He heard screaming. They weren't his. He couldn't scream. He heard sounds. Sounds of everyday objects thrashing and pounding on an ethereal surface. Sounds of concerned shouts and shrieks. A shield had formed around the two. There was only Edd, and the person about to kill him. His vision began to turn black. Oh, Jonny…

_Boom…_

The striking sounds stopped, but the voices changed. Edd felt his head wanting to explode. He placed a hand on the one holding him off the ground by his throat. Tears began to roll down his cheek. He knew why.

"PK…"

Jonny's grasp began to waver. No, Edd realized, still on the verge of consciousness. His arm wasn't shaking. But something else was. The ground maybe? As his other senses died out, Edd managed to catch one last smell:

The familiar stench of a friend.

"Starstorm!"

For the first time in his life, Ed felt truly, completely focused. Gone were the mad thoughts that had been churning through his head. Gone were the shocked faces of his friends. Gone was the visage of the cul-de-sac, battle-torn and lifeless. Gone were his doubts, his fears, and his grief. All that was there was him and a friend that he needed to save.

Jonny and Edd were entrapped within an extremely thick dome of shields, physical and psychic. They only barely held up against the barrage of brilliantly-glowing, fiery projectiles that rained upon it from above.

Ed felt his PSI surging through his body with a precision he had never thought was possible. Every single star hit the shield and only the shield, immediately dissipating after it had impacted it. Cracks begin to form on the barrier, but Ed didn't let up.

The shields eventually gave way all at once, bursting into the aether with a cosmic shatter. One final star dropped from the cloudy heavens above, smaller than all the rest. It struck Jonny square in the back of the neck. The boy keeled over, dropping Edd as he fell to the ground.

**~γγγγγγγ~**

Kevin regained consciousness when the pain of the wound in his stomach became too much to bear. Curled up in the middle of the cul-de-sac, he grunted in pain, struggling to place a limp hand over the bloody cut. He had just enough concentration to stop the bleeding, and he felt strength coming back to him.

"Are you okay?"

He turned to see Nazz and Rolf standing over him, each offering a hand. He grabbed them both, and they hoisted him to his feet.

"I've had worse," he said. Still coming back to his senses, he looked around. "Where's—"

He looked down the street and saw Jonny laying on the ground, unconscious. Standing near him was Ed, kneeling before an unconscious Edd and surrounded by everyone else.

"Ed!" Forgetting the pain, Kevin ran toward the big lug just as Edd began to regain consciousness.

"E-Ed?"

Ed smiled at his friend. "Yep, that's me!"

Edd sat up, coughing a few times to get air going through his lungs again. He turned toward Ed, his eyes growing wet, and threw himself at the boy in a grand hug. "I was so worried about you!"

Ed closed his eyes and returned the hug. "Sorry, Double-D."

"What happened to you, man?" Kevin asked.

Ed broke away from his friend's embrace, and his smile faded. "I… uh, I don't know how to say it."

It was Kevin's turn to smile. "Well, you're back now, safe and sound, and that's what counts."

"MY BOYFRIEND!"

Ed only had a half second to put on a look of horror before May tackled him to the ground. He gave out muffled yelps as she kissed his face, struggling helplessly to get her off of him.

"That's enough, May," Lee said, pulling her sister off of the boy. Ed, shocked and covered with kiss marks, turned with an expression of confusion and horror toward Edd.

"Long story, sort of," Edd shrugged.

As Edd helped Ed off of the ground, Eddy's Brother turned toward Jonny's unconscious body. "So what're we gonna do with Baldy here?"

Kevin's expression turned downcast. "I… I dunno. If he really was Helmy all along, then Porky…"

He knelt down next to Jonny. The boy's breaths were shallow and labored. His eyes had enormous bags under them. His skin was ghostly white and somewhat dilapidated, as if he hadn't washed or cared for it in weeks.

"Careful not to wake him up," Eddy's Brother warned.

"I know," Kevin said. Gathering his thoughts, he reached his mind out to Jonny's, and began siphoning the boy's energy with PSI Magnet. It felt cold and dark and not like Kevin would imagine any sort of power coming from Jonny to be like at all.

"I feel… something," Kevin muttered. "Something really sad and bitter."

"Well," Edd said, averting his eyes from the boy, "considering how we've treated him ever since the Mondo A Go-Go incident…"

"You don't think…" Kevin turned his attention back to Jonny. The flow of PSI had stopped, so Kevin whispered, "PSI Healing Gamma."

Jonny's eyes fluttered open. Kevin smiled as he saw that they were dilated and more relaxed than they were before.

Until Jonny looked at Kevin.

The boy scrambled back from Kevin so fast that he tripped on a sidewalk behind him.

"Jonny, it's us!" Kevin pleaded. To the others surprise, he pulled out his wrench, only to place it on the ground.

Jonny stumbled to his feet. His eyes drew back to the way they were, but this time his whole body trembled as he snapped his gaze from one person to the next. He lifted his arms up, as if to prepare for an attack, but they shifted and moved so much with his shaking that he nearly lost his balance.

"It's okay, dude. We're not gonna hurt you," Nazz said, stepping forward with Kevin. Jonny looked back and forth between them, nearly hyperventilating through his teeth.

"What happened to you, Jonny?" Edd asked.

"Are you okay?" Sarah added.

"We can help you," Jimmy said.

"Ranger Jimmy is right," Rolf said. "Whatever is ailing you, your fellow Urban Rangers can assist!"

Jonny's eyes darted around faster and faster, but he did not stop shivering. The other kids began talking in turns, giving words of encouragement and compliments. They saw tears begin to roll down his cheeks.

"We're here for you, man," Kevin said. He held out his hand toward Jonny. Jonny looked at him, and then at Kevin's hand. He slowly raised his arm, still trembling. His hand slowly made its way toward Kevin's—

But Jonny yanked it away with a tremendous scream. Kevin gasped as he sensed an immense surge of power emanate from Jonny where it wasn't there a second ago.

The other kids backed away as they felt the ground begin to shake from underneath them, but Kevin held his ground.

The boy began to glow as more and more power surged around him. Sparks began to fly from his body, turning into arcs and wisps of electricity. Jonny continued to scream, clasping his hands at his head so hard that his fingers began tearing the skin a little.

"Jonny!"

The boy took a step back, and the energy burst from him all at once.

Jonny fired an intense bolt of lightning.

Kevin's Franklin Badge reflected the lightning back.

Time stood still.


	66. Chapter 66

**Chapter 65**

* * *

**Author's Note: **For readers who have been following the story before now, I ask that you reread the second and third chapters of the story before proceeding, as they have been edited significantly.

* * *

_"Plank?"_

_Jonny was surrounded in darkness. Very little light entered the cave from the tiny hole the others had dug near the top of it, and it snuffed out completely only a few feet away. The boy briefly considered coming back and asking Rolf for his flashlight, but that would mean having to face Kevin's inevitable angry retort. Plank couldn't have gone too far anyway; he was just as afraid of the dark as Jonny was. Feeling around, his hand found a cave wall and he slid it across it as he walked. The ground below him was uneven and treacherous, but he was squirrely enough to keep his balance._

_Stupid Kevin, acting like Plank isn't a person. Jonny seethed as he walked. If it hadn't been such a dire emergency, Jonny would have gladly left Kevin unconscious on the lane. Maybe would've given him a kick or two for fun. Kevin certainly would've to him._

_After a full minute of walking, the darkness gave way to light. Jonny gasped as he saw the tunnel grow brighter and brighter as he went._

_"Plank? Where are ya, buddy?"_

_"He's right here!"_

_A sniveling, piggish voice stopped Jonny in his tracks. Before him stood a boy, blocking what appeared to be the tunnel's exit. The boy was stout and fat, with gold bangs hanging down over his eyes and resting atop a snout-like nose. He was dressed very strange, wearing a red, pinstriped business suit. He smiled devilishly as he held Plank in his hands._

_"Wh-who are you? Gimmie back Plank!"_

_"Sure. Here ya go!"_

_The boy tossed Plank at Jonny, who stumbled to catch him._

_"O-oh," Jonny stuttered, surprised at the boy's compliance. "Thanks!" He nearly turned around to head back to the others, but curiosity overtook him. "Who are you?"_

_"Me? I'm Porky!"_

_"You said it, not me!" Jonny laughed._

_"You look like a loser," Porky said._

_"Wh-wha? Hey, that's not very—_

_"I could make you cool." The boy made a grin that stretched all the way across his chubby face._

_"Y-you wh-what?" Jonny suddenly heard Plank speak to him. "What's that Plank? …He can do what?"_

_"Plank's pretty special," Porky snickered. "You oughta listen to him."_

_"O-of course! I always listen to Plank, he knows things!"_

_"He most certainly does. What does he know about me?"_

_Jonny listened, and Plank spoke._

_"He says you're—"_

_"H-hello?"_

_A faint voice echoed through the tunnel._

_"You in here, Jonny?_

_Oh great. Kevin. Jonny turned toward Porky—_

_Only to find that the boy had disappeared._

_A beam of flashlight appeared behind him. Jonny jumped and whirled around._

_"Geese, you scared the crap outta me," Kevin said, having jumped himself._

_"Hahah, cool!" Jonny said. Plank said something, and he held the board to his ear to get a better listen. "Plank says you're like the girl in a horror movie, getting scared at everything!"_

_Kevin groaned. Jonny knew he was clearly not happy about having to come for him, but resisted the urge to rub it in._

_"Let's just get back to the others, okay?"_

_"Okie dokie!"_

_Jonny walked next to Kevin as they made their way out of the cave._

I can make you cool.

_Jonny stopped and looked back. He saw Porky for just a moment, before the boy vanished into thin air._

_"You find something back there?"_

_Jonny put on a fake smile. "Nope!"_

**~γγγγγγγ~**

_"Welp, it looks like it's just you and me, buddy!"_

_Jonny sat on one of the swings in the playground, wrapping one arm around the chain so he could hold Plank in front of him._

_"…What's that? You wanna go back to that cave?" He waited for an answer. "Okay then! You wanna see if that Porkchop kid's still there, dontcha?"_

_Jonny hopped off the swings and headed for the forest. He lost the spring in his step when he began stepping onto ash and soot. The smell of smoke was still strong._

_"I sure hope Double-D was right," Jonny said to himself. "Of course, we can help plant seeds too, Plank! We'll be like the guardians of the forest, protecting it from—"_

_A shrill caw cut the boy off. Jonny turned upward, just in time to see a large crow with sunglasses dive for him._

_"AAAAAAHHH!" He sprinted away, but the crow quickly caught up to him and pecked at his large head. "Get offa me!"_

_Something bit his ankle as he scrambled to get the crow off of his head, and he turned down to see a large snake coiled like a spring biting him. "You too!"_

_More possessed animals latched onto the boy as he flailed about, desperately grasping onto Plank. They bit at him and pecked and scratched until Jonny fell down. "S-stop! Please stop!"_

_A horrid wave of sour notes._

_He immediately felt the weight of all of his attackers disappear. Just as quick as it appeared, the chord vanished, along with the pain._

_"…Hello?"_

_A beat._

_"Like I said, you're a loser," someone answered._

_Jonny opened his eyes and got to his feet. He gasped, as all around him were the various animals that had wanted him dead a few seconds earlier. They all sat perfectly still, their eyes wide open. They all stared at the chubby boy standing a few feet away._

_"You let everyone walk all over you, and don't put up a fight," Porky said._

_"W-well I… I became a supervillain for a while!" Jonny said. "The other kids'r just punishing me for being a bad guy." After a pause, he added, "Even if it was their fault for beating me up for no reason that one time."_

_"Supervillains are lame." Jonny gasped as he heard Porky's voice come from behind him, and whirled around to see the boy standing on a nearby tree branch. "You should be a super_hero_ instead!"_

_"I am!" Jonny proclaimed. He perked up, and quickly stuttered, "I-I-I m-mean, I _know_ a superhero! CAPTAIN MELONHEAD!"_

_Porky snickered, and walked across the branch until he stepped behind the tree's trunk. "Laaame." Jonny whirled around again to see the boy leaning back on another burnt tree behind him. "I can make you a real superhero, with real superpowers!"_

_This time, the boy leaned back farther until he phased through the tree. Jonny preemptively turned around to see where he'd appear next, but he wasn't. There. Confused, Jonny turned back around—to come face-to-face with the grinning boy._

_"All I ask is that you complete a few… missions for me."_

_Jonny took a step back, and brought Plank to his face to consult. "Whadda you think, buddy? Didn't you say you were afraid of— …Oh, only _Kevin's_ powers are evil? …What, you think I should?" Jonny smiled. "Alright, Fatso, you've gotta deal!"_

_He looked up, but found nobody there._

_"Excellent!_

_Another sour chord. Jonny felt the world around him turn black._

**~γγγγγγγ~**

_Uh, shouldn't I be asleep for this or something? You don't look like a very good surgeon._

_Jonny lay on the medical table, securely strapped in and awaiting his treatment. The room was small and sterile, apparently a recent addition to Porky's "mothership" as he called it. Jonny hadn't seen Porky since their bout in the forest, and Plank told him all the details._

_Plank had assured him several times over that it would be a painless procedure, and that he would get fantastic super powers from it. Jonny had no reason not to trust his best friend._

_"Don't worry, I've done this… m-many times before," Jonny's surgeon doctor said. He was a stout man, with two white puffs of hair sprouting from his head and a pair of incredibly thick glasses resting on his nose. "Well, not this _exactly_, but I've performed brain surgery of some kind at least… four times before. Yes, I think four."_

_The man pulled beside him a medical cart filled with power tools. From his lab coat he produced a small microchip, bearing a pink insignia of a pig snout on it._

_"What's that thing?"_

_"This is how you'll get your, erm, superpowers," the man said. "Just pop it in your brain and viola!" His voice had a tinge of sadness to it. His face was unreadable though, from the mask covering his mouth to the glasses obscuring his eyes._

_"In my brain? Heehee, good luck finding it in here! According to Plank, you'd get lost poking around in my noggin!"_

_The man gave a chuckle that sounded like it wanted to be a sob. "I'm sure I'll find something in there."_

_Another person barged into the room, wearing a ridiculous outfit consisting of a pink uniform and gigantic helmet resembling the head of a pig. "The boss wants an update on the tower," he said._

_"I do believe I'm a bit _busy_ right now," the surgeon said. "Tell him I've already given the Starmen the blueprints to the place and that I'll personally oversee its construction."_

_The pig man gave a salute. "Yes, sir!" And then he left._

_The surgeon gave a deep sigh. Jonny heard him mumble under his breath, something about hoping something worked._

_"You okay there?"_

_"Y-yes," the main said. He made his way back toward Jonny's side and picked up a drill from the tool table. "Now, let's get started."_

**~γγγγγγγ~**

_Jonny crept through the darkened streets of Lemon Brook. His new costume blended in with the darkness. His new powers swirled in his mind, waiting to be unleashed. His arms felt awkward, not having to carry Plank around. Why he insisted he stay back at Porky's airship, Jonny didn't know. He didn't understand why Porky couldn't give Plank a new costume and powers either._

_He had his assignment: recruitment. Porky wanted more superheroes, and apparently there was a girl in this town who was perfect for the job. Jonny smiled beneath his helmet. He also said that he wanted to help Jonny get back at all the neighborhood kids, and as luck would have it, Sarah and Ed had moved to Lemon Brook too._

_Jonny found the right house, using his newfound sensing abilities to feel the girl's presence. He nimbly yet stealthily climbed the house's rain gutter to get onto the roof. Walking to the other side, he found the window to the girl's room and jumped on the ledge. With a flick of his finger, he undid the lock on the window and opened it from the outside._

_"Why? Why me?" he heard a little girl sob._

_"Hello there." He had been instructed to be serious and professional when he spoke. For some reason, he didn't feel any objection to it, even though part of him wanted to laugh._

_"Wha—How did you get into my room? Who are you?"_

_Jonny delved into the girl's mind, just as he had practiced on Porky's pigmen. He pried her secrets, her fears, and her troubles from her psyche, learning more about Laura Truckdresser in a short moment than he ever could by talking to her. "You can get back at them."_

_"W-wha? …Those boys?"_

_"Everyone. I can let you do whatever you want." Again, something about what he was saying didn't sit right with Jonny, but he felt no reason to disobey his orders._

_"R-really? Wha-what do you m—?"_

_"You have to do something for me, though," Jonny interrupted. He pulled out a picture of Sarah and handed it to her. "Capture this girl and take her to the old mineshaft on the edge of town."_

_"H-how am I supposed to do that?!"_

_"By using your new superpowers." Before the girl could ask further, Jonny put his hands on her forehead and concentrated. He found the spot in her brain where her superpowers would manifest as it lay dormant. He forced it to open using his own power, causing her energy to come spilling out. He heard her yelp in fright as the power swirled around her, and Jonny continued using his own power to strengthen hers._

_When the process was complete, she fell to her knees, dumbfounded. Jonny left her with the knowledge of how to conjure lightning, and one last cursory look at her mind told him that she possessed a special technique that he didn't know. He wasn't ordered to investigate, however, so he didn't feel the need to and vanished into the night._

**~γγγγγγγ~**

_Jonny lay on his makeshift bed in the warden's office. He did it! He caught Kevin and Ed, just as Porky and Plank wanted. He wasn't sure how long he was supposed to keep them here, but just keeping them in a dirty jail cell for a few days felt like good revenge. As he lay, he wondered what his parents would think when they found out he stole their car in order to drive all the way down to the desert. Come to think of it, he hadn't seen them since he first got his superpowers. The more he thought of it, however, the less he began to care._

**~γγγγγγγ~**

_"Alright, you have some explaining to do, mister!"_

_Jonny stood before Plank, sitting in a small throne in Porky's airship. "Just capturing them was okay, but you wanted me to _kill _Double-D and Kevin and them on that train!"_

_Plank talked at Jonny._

_"Yes, I know what they did to us, but they never tried to kill us! You know, I'm starting to question this whole 'superhero' thing. All we've—_I've_ done so far is mess with the other kids! …Wh-what? You think they're _evil_? Why the heck— …Oh, my head…"_

_Jonny felt his head suddenly throb. He heard the now-familiar sour chord pulse through hsi mind. He wanted to take his helmet off, but as he placed his hands on it, the urge faded. His anger and confusion at Plank began to fade as well._

_"I… I…" He slumped onto one knee. "…What do you want me to do next?"_

**~γγγγγγγ~**

_Jonny had failed yet again. He slumped through the cul-de-sac, wondering how Plank would react. Master Porky had kicked them off his airship for their incompetence. Plank demanded that Jonny place him back in the cave where they first met Master Porky. Jonny didn't question why._

_He made his way inside the cave, and awaited Plank's punishment._

_"They're growing too strong. I can't handle them all—"_

_"You want me to… I see. Hit where it hurts. I know what will eat at them. I need to find Eddy's corpse."_

_"Before I go, I'll need… I don't think this is enough. I'm going to need more than this to take them on! More!"_

**~γγγγγγγ~**

_"The seed has been planted. …As you wish. I will return to Master Porky."_

**~γγγγγγγ~**

_"Wh-who are you?_

_Jonny's parents didn't even recognize him. He didn't recognize them either. He had his orders. He didn't question what Plank had asked of him. There would be no distractions for his final fight._

_"Wha—what are you—AAAUUUGGH!"_

**~γγγγγγγ~**

_"I-I'm so s-s_orry."

Kevin snapped back to reality just as the light disappeared. The words rang in his ears as he watched Jonny fall forward to his knees, and then to his face. His chest rose slightly as he took a trembling breath, and then sank back down with a long, dismal sigh, never to rise back up.

The cul-de-sac grew deathly silent once more. The air seemed to mute the footsteps of everyone tentatively gathering around the boy. Jimmy was the first to gently sob, burying his face in Sarah's welcoming shoulder as she held him. Nazz came next, sniffling as a few tears escaped her eyes. Eddy's Brother and the Kanker sisters stayed back, wearing sorrowful looks but saying nothing.

Kevin finally stepped forward, and knelt down next to the body lying in the middle of the street. He took off his hat with both hands, clutching it to his chest as he felt a horrible chill brush over his buzzed head. "I'm sorry," he replied.

He felt a hand rest itself on his shoulder, and he looked up to see Edd. After rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand, he nodded, and got back to his feet.

"We've still got a mission to do," he said.

"Wh-what'll we do a-about…" Jimmy gestured toward Jonny's body.

Kevin closed his eyes and sighed. "There's nothing we can do right now." He looked down at it, and added, "But he'll definitely get a proper burial. We owe him that, at least."

He balled his hands into fists, and felt a little courage returning to him. He glanced at his house, darkened and forlorn, and ignored the pang telling him just how close he was to it. "Let's go."


	67. Chapter 67

**Chapter 67**

* * *

"I'm not gonna insult you or anything," Eddy's Brother said, "but seriously; why are you bringing your bike along? I know that riding is like your special thing or whatever, but you're just walking it along so you don't leave everyone else behind."

The lane was old but well-traveled. The path leading behind all the houses of the cul-de-sac was beaten with footprints and tire tracks. Kevin created more as he walked his bike along, leading everyone to the forest that lay beyond. The group was silent, as if the frigid air was sealing their mouths shut, and the only audible sound came from the gentle ticking of Kevin's bike. However, Eddy's Brother had worked up the nerve to make his way to the front of the pack to talk to Kevin.

The boy didn't respond. Eddy's Brother saw his face swimming in emotions, empty and drained yet also contemplative. The man didn't feel the need to press him further.

They came upon the remains of the forest from the lane. It was still dark with ash, barren and naked from the sheer number of trees that had disintegrated in the flames. The few that were left had no leaves, and their branches were like spiteful daggers stabbing in every direction.

Moments passed. The trees slowly grew in number around them. At last, Kevin replied. "It doesn't matter, really. My bike is a part of me, part of who I am, whether I get to ride it or not."

Eddy's Brother scoffed lightly. "That's kinda a stupid reason."

"I thought you weren't going to insult me."

"Seriously, though. You shouldn't bring that thing unless you can ride it. And you shouldn't ride it since you'd leave all of us behind."

The trees turned into a forest, but there was still no sign of life on their branches. The dark gray sky above only gave the slightest of light from above.

Kevin saw the area grow brighter with a warm glow, and turned behind him to see Ed cradling a small flame above his hands. Turning back to Eddy's Brother, he said, "So you're saying if I want to bring my bike along, I should find a way to carry all of you with me on it."

"Pretty much."

Kevin stopped, and so did everyone else. Before him lay the cave that he had dug Jimmy and Rolf out of. It was still largely covered by boulders and debris, but near the top was a small opening just large enough to crawl through. Wordlessly, Kevin hoisted his bike up the pile and began moving rocks and gravel aside to make room for his bike. The others pitched in, and soon the way was clear.

The cave was nearly pitch black when Kevin entered. The light from outside only barely seeped in through the opening, quickly becoming engulfed by solid darkness beyond.

Kevin didn't realize he was trembling until Edd placed a hand on his shoulder. Ed created another flame and held it in his hand for light. It only barely shone through the darkness, illuminating everyone in the cave but hardly any of the cave itself. Nazz noticed that her breath was a visible fog, and realized for the first time that she had been clutching her bare forearms since she had entered. She felt something drape over her shoulders, and looked up to see Eddy's Brother without his plaid jacket. She smiled at him. Ed's flame seemed to glow a little brighter.

Kevin walked slowly forward, feeling along the cave wall with one hand and grasping his bike with the other, with everyone else following close behind him. Moments turned into minutes, and the only sound that dared cut through the darkness was that of everyone's collective breathing.

Eventually, Kevin saw something. It was a faint light, not shining but dimly luminescent. It steadily grew as the group approached it, a patch of light in the shape of a large crack showing that the tunnel exited to a large chamber beyond.

Kevin was the first to pass through the threshold, and he beheld the sanctuary before him. He stood at the edge of a vast cylindrical chamber. The floor was a smooth stone, but the circular wall and the domed ceiling it formed was made of a material Kevin had never seen before. It glowed a dark gray, its surface made up a glossy, shimmering material that the color swam and rippled about in. Unlike the other sanctuaries, this one was frigid and dying. Kevin felt as if the sanctuary was leeching him of energy, rather than radiating it.

A faint shimmer caught Kevin's eye, and he turned toward the center of the place.

Clutching his bike with him, he walked toward the object. A familiar sight greeted him as he approached it: A fragment of mirror, about the length of his arm in the shape of a jagged triangle. As he bent down to pick it up, another familiar sight caught the corner of his eye.

Kevin turned to see Plank, lying on the floor next to the mirror, smiling at him.

The face melted into a horrific grimace. A wave of psionic energy blasted from Plank, straight into Kevin's mind.

"AAAUUGGGH!" Kevin felt his consciousness nearly rip from his very body in a hurricane of mental force. His arms and legs became numb. He fell to the ground just as he saw the hunk of wood explode. Plank's horrified expression became three-dimensional. It turned from marker ink into a bloody red miasma. The evil energy exploded outward in tendrils and gigantic wisps. Everything that wasn't a horrid, incandescent red became a solid blackness. He felt the equivalent of a thousand orchestral instruments all playing horrid, sour notes at once as the energy swirled madly around him.

Kevin struggled to move. The madness forced its way into his psyche, almost effortlessly tearing apart all of the mental barriers he desperately attempted to put up. Everyone behind him all cried out. Their presence was suddenly cut off as the darkness absorbed it.

"P-PK Flash!"

The attack had no effect.

"PK R-Riding Gamma!"

The attack had no effect.

"PK—P-AAAUUUGGH!"

Kevin felt his very consciousness shift and recoil away from the horrid energy invading his mind. In front of him, he saw the piece of the mirror, but he couldn't move his arms or legs. A horrid, disfigured, undulating face stared at him within the red madness. Kevin suddenly realized that he wasn't numb. He was too terrified to move. His psyche was on the fringe of being invaded. The madness skirted along the edge of his being, like a sadistic tormentor deciding when to begin the torture.

"Nnngghh…" Kevin forced his arm to move. It shook in protest, but he slowly inched it toward the mirror. He felt as if he was being crushed under an enormous weight, but there was nothing on him. His hand inched closer and closer to the mirror piece. He could feel it hum, giving a tiny, warm chord through the torrent of cacophonous noise. He got close enough to touch it…

And then the new Giygas struck. A red, pulsating spear pierced through the mirror from above, shattering it.

The madness broke into Kevin's consciousness. He felt his very being tear away from his body.

Kevin was absorbed by the darkness.

**~γγγγγγγ~**

I failed.

Double-D. Ed. Jimmy. All of them.

Dead.

I'm no hero.

I can't even save myself.

Double-D. Ed. Jimmy. All of them.

I'm no hero.

I failed.

The world is ending.

Oh god, Jonny.

I can't even save myself.

Double-D. Ed. Jimmy. All of them.

The world is ending.

Jonny, I'm so sorry.

This is my fault.

I failed.

I'm no hero.

I can't even save myself.

I failed.

Double-D. Ed. Jimmy. All of them.

I don't deserve these powers.

I'm just a kid.

I failed.

I was the one who bullied him the most.

I failed.

I failed.

I failed.

I failed.

I—

A hand reached into the water and clasped onto Kevin's arm. It pulled him through the darkness of his thoughts as they swirled angrily around him.

The madness ended as soon as Kevin's head rose above the water. He immediately took an enormous breath, his eyes popping open as he immediately began to thrash around in a panic. He was in a pool of water. He located the edge and scrambled toward it, flopping onto his back as soon as he climbed onto dry land.

Eyes closed, Kevin lay on the stony surface, panting for breath. His mind was blank. All he could focus on was breathing, of feeling the water dry off of him as the madness slowly faded away. His despair didn't.

After a long while, he finally opened his eyes. He was greeted with an ethereal sky, of a shade of blue that didn't quite exist. He sat up, examining the area around him. Anachronistic architecture. An air of misery and exhaustion. The smell of pomegranates, ever so faint. A large, circular pool in the center, its waters glossy and still.

"Am I… dead?"

"Beats me."

The voice sent a shiver down Kevin's spine. He whirled around to see Jonny standing behind him. Gone were his black clothes and white skin. He wore sandals, blue pants and a long, white T-shirt. He stood, looking down at Kevin with a bereft expression. Kevin sat on the ground, looking back up at him.

"Jonny… I…"

"It's okay," Jonny said. He held out a hand, and Kevin gingerly grasped it. Jonny hoisted the boy to his feet, and they stood face-to-face. "I deserved it. I tried to kill you guys!"

"B-but you were brainwashed," Kevin said. "Porky took over your mind and did those horrible things to you, all because we treated you like crap."

"Yeah, it woulda been nice to get a little niceness." Jonny averted his gaze. "Though I was the one who started it, what with the whole the Gourd fiasco and all."

Kevin bowed his head. "Can you… can you ever forgive me? Us?"

"Yeah, I guess." The boy held his hands out and examined them. They were callused and dirty, with years of removed splinters and tree sap embedded in his skin. "Plank…"

"He was the Mani-Mani," Kevin said. "The host for Porky's new Giygas." He felt a tremble pass through his body, and he sat back down, hugging his knees. "And now he's going to destroy the world, all because I failed." He closed his eyes, desperately trying to hold back tears that were threatening to break through.

Jonny took a seat next to him, peering into the water. "I don't think you're dead just yet."

"I'm here with you, aren't I?"

"Yeah, but you're also over there."

Kevin opened his eyes. He looked at Jonny, who pointed to the pool. Kevin peered into the water, and gasped. The drink was glowing slightly, and deep within the water, Kevin could see a body, curled up like a fetus. He looked closer, and saw a red cap with a peculiar badge resting on top of the boy's head. It was another Kevin, floating unconscious beneath the surface.

"Am I… I'm not dead?"

Kevin crawled to the edge of the pool, gazing into it like a child about to go into the water for the first time.

"If Plank was here, he'd say…" Jonny paused, and then rephrased, "Erm, well, _I_ say that looks like a second chance if I ever saw one."

A small smile appeared on Kevin's face. "I think you're right."

He dove into the water.

Everything became dark. It was an empty darkness this time, a void rather than a storm of madness. Kevin didn't know whether or not to take comfort from it. He was alone, absolutely alone in an endless void. He didn't need to breathe, but he still held his breath. The void changed shape. Instead of extending endlessly in every direction, it only went in two. Forward and backward.

Kevin looked forward. Someone else was there. They were blurry and far away. He moved toward the other person, propelled by nothing but a simple desire.

The other person came into focus as Kevin drew near. She wore a gentle lavender dress, and had long, blonde hair that waved gently around her.

"Y-you're…"

Kevin had never seen this woman before, but she emanated an air of familiarity, like a faint memory he couldn't quite picture anymore.

"I am Maria," she said. Her voice was soothing and warm. It reminded Kevin of his mother.

"Maria… like the one married to my great grandpa?"

"That is correct," said a different voice. Beside Maria appeared a man. His hair was jet black and messy, and he wore a white lab coat similar to Doctor Andonuts's. "That would be me."

"You're George?"

The man nodded, and smiled as warmly as his wife did. They held each other's hand in a very practiced motion. "I see that my journal has finally come in handy."

Kevin felt around in his pocket, and pulled out a small, black book. "This thing basically started me on my whole adventure." His expression sank, and he clutched the book to his chest. "But it's over now. I failed."

"And why do you think that?" Maria asked, holding her hands slightly in front of her.

Kevin looked up at her. "I.. I wasn't strong enough. Plank—or Giygas, or _something_ took me down practically instantly. I was never meant to save the world! I can't even save myself."

"Others have been in similar situations, up against a seemingly insurmountable foe," George said. "Do you know how they pulled through?"

Kevin shook his head. "I know about Ninten and Ness, but they're different! They both defeated Giygas using his emotions against him. Our Giygas was made exactly to prevent that; it's not a thinking, feeling alien. It's just a hunk of wood given an insane amount of power."

"And you don't think you can overcome that power with your own?"

"N-no."

"And why not?"

"I don't know!" Kevin clasped his hands to the side of his head. "I'm just not strong enough! I'm not some chosen one or savior born to protect the earth! I'm not pure of heart or soul or anything like that."

"And what importance do you think that makes, being pure of heart?"

Kevin looked up at George. The man leaned back, posed with his arms and legs crossed as if he was reclining.

"I… I don't know."

"Do you think that the earth is pure?"

"I guess not," Kevin said. "I mean, with evil people and pollution and stuff, I guess it's far from perfect."

"And do you think that's a bad thing?"

Kevin opened his mouth to respond, but couldn't think of anything to say.

"Purity is like the absence of fear," George continued, moving out of his reclining position to lean toward Kevin. "Fear is something that thinking beings need. It tells us to stay away from harmful things and to be cautious about the unknown. There is a balance with fear; too much of it, and we're afraid to move forward into the unknown, and discover ways to better or even save ourselves. Too little, and we take meaningless risks and ultimately get ourselves hurt or killed.

"Courage and bravery are valuable things to have, as rather than removing fear, they allow us to act in spite of our fears and achieve that balance. Do you not think that there is a similar thing to balance purity and corruption?"

"I guess, but still…"

Kevin felt a hand on his shoulder, and he looked up at Maria. "You have more strength than you realize," she said, smiling. "And your enemy has one flaw that Porky never considered."

Before he could reply, he heard something. A series of tinny, electronic notes echoed throughout the darkness around them. Kevin felt something in his pocket vibrate, and he reached in it to pull out the phone his mother had gave him. It was ringing.

Kevin gasped, quickly fumbling with the device to try to flip it open, but it wouldn't budge. All he could do was hold onto it helplessly as the ringing continued. It eventually stopped, and the boy sank.

However, the device gave one more beep. Kevin listened in awe as he heard his mother's voice.

_"I don't know if you can hear me or not, but I have to say it anyway. Please be safe! You've grown into such a strong, good person. I know you don't believe in destiny, but if there is anyone capable of saving us all, then it's you! If nothing else, just know that I love you, Kevin. I love you and your father loves you and so do all of your friends. Please be safe… please…"_

_Kevin felt the wind rush past his face and through the opening in his cap as he sped down the road. His bike glided under him as he pedaled effortlessly on it. He felt the world move around him as he stood perfectly still, the wheels on his bike spinning in place as the ground sped past under them. Everything turned into a blur as he raced down the road and into the light, where his friends stood waiting for him. Together, they spread their light to the darkness beyond, revealing a beautiful world of opposites. Of purity and corruption, of life and death, of speed and stillness, of change and stagnation. All fluctuating, bending back and forth between one and the other. All balanced. All bound to the earth._

**~ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ~**

Kevin felt a surge of power well up within him. It was like a perfectly-tuned orchestra, with every single player playing a solid note to form a brilliant chord. It chased away the madness, freeing his mind from the miasma.

He found strength coming back to his body as well. Kevin stood up, and was immediately hit with a barrage of force from every direction. He summoned shields around him, keeping away the red mists and the darkness. He walked forward, protected from the chaos. His bike lay on the ground in front of him. It was untouched, as it was also glowing. Kevin grabbed the handle and propped it upright, and he felt even more energy buzz inside of him.

"Alright, it's time to end this!"

Kevin concentrated with all his strength. The chord hummed throughout him, and his body began to glow in a brilliant spectrum of color. The energy reached its peak.

"PK Riding Omega!"

A brilliant light burst from the boy, all at once. It travelled outward in all directions in a solid, colorful wave. The righteous energy passed through Kevin's shield, into the madness that lay just beyond. It burst through the darkness, passing straight through it and carrying onward past it.

The attack had no effect.

The madness pounded furiously on Kevin's shield. It pressed on it with an immense force, causing the dome to gradually shrink around the boy.

"N-no," Kevin uttered. His body trembled. His strength waned. He clutched onto his bike as his shield began closing in around him. His body began to tremble. Not again… no, not again…

Another chord.

Kevin perked up. A faint chord found its way through the darkness, coming from just a few feet away. Kevin recognized it, and gasped.

He struggled to his feet. His shield was barely big enough to encompass him. Following the sensation, he walked his bike steadily through the darkness. A few red, wispy tentacles breached through his shield. They jabbed at him, pierced his flesh, but Kevin couldn't ignore the chord. He kept walking.

"Ed…"

**~ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ~**

Laura Truckdresser felt something deep inside her cry out. She stood up from her large chair in her City Hall office, and turned toward the window. The sky was a dark red, and the ground seemed to shake slightly. She felt a strange energy brush past her. It felt warm and familiar, like stepping into her room after a long vacation. An image flashed before her. She saw one of her earliest memories, clear as day.

**~ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ~**

Ed lay in the darkness, curled on the ground. He lay absolutely still, every ounce of concentration being used to keep the horrid madness from invading his mind.

He was like a tiny beacon of light in the darkness for Kevin. The boy stumbled through the black and red. He was bleeding. Tired. Once again he had failed, but the least he could do was reach his friend.

Ed emerged from the darkness as Kevin's pitiful shield pushed it back. The boy shivered violently, and Kevin knelt down to take the his hand.

A spark flashed between them, and suddenly memories flashed before the two's eyes. Memories of them walking through Lemon Brook, of Ed buying a hungry Kevin a hot dog, of them talking at the inn and facing off against Laura Truckdresser.

The memories swirled around them as Kevin helped his friend to his feet. Here was Ed: Fiercely loyal, empathetic and kind. His love for his friends and newly found sense of worth made him strong. He grabbed onto Kevin's bike for support. It glowed, ever so slightly. Kevin felt his strength returning to him.

"We have to find the others," he said. Ed nodded in agreement.

Clutching onto the bike, the two walked together through the darkness.

**~ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ~**

One of the teachers at Chestnut Falls Academy felt something deep inside him cry out. He stopped his lecture as he felt a strange energy brush past him. From the looks on his students' faces, he could tell that they felt it too. For a moment, he could have sworn he had caught a whiff of his favorite food, a type of bread that his mother used to bake when he was a very young child.

**~ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ~**

Kevin and Ed held tight to the bike. Kevin's shield was no longer as confined, but the new Giygas's power still pressed on it. The boys gritted their teeth in concentration to keep it from breaching through.

Following their senses, they found Edd, lying still in the darkness. Both of them grabbed the boy's hand, and like before, it sparked. Memories flashed before the three's eyes. Memories of them sitting at the jail, of them building upon Kevin's bike to turn it into a glider. Memories of their encounters at Pomegranate Pool, of their meeting with Michelle and their slow ascent up the Starman Tower.

The memories swirled around them as Kevin helped his friend to his feet. Here was Edd: Scrawny but intelligent, with a heart as big as his brain and a sense of morality to match. Though he was weak physically and had no psychic powers, his creativity and ingenuity made him strong.

"Wh-what are we going to do?" he asked.

Kevin frowned. "I don't know. All we can do now is try to find the others."

Edd grabbed onto the bike, and it seemed to glow a little brighter. Clutching onto it, the three wandered further into the darkness.

**~ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ~**

Michelle felt something deep inside her cry out. She instinctively clutched Caroline closer to her, and stood up from her brother's grave. She felt a strange energy brush past her. She looked down at Caroline, and for a moment she saw not her daughter, but herself when she was a baby.

**~ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ~**

Jimmy sat in the madness, meditating. He had experienced this terror before, deep within his own mind. He countered it, parried its mad assaults on his psyche. He would not let himself succomb to it again. He squeezed his hand, and felt another hand squeeze back.

Sarah sat next to Jimmy. They shared their thoughts, and their power. They steadied the other, providing balance and control when one's power wavered. Unfortunately, it was all they could do to repel the darkness. It smothered them, putting on more and more pressure, sinking its reach deeper with each mistake. They held each other tighter, bracing for the moment when the darkness would break through and eat them up.

The moment never came. They felt the darkness dissipate around them, and opened their eyes to see their friends.

Kevin grabbed the boy's hand, and it sparked. Memories flashed before the two's eyes. Memories of Jimmy being rescued from the tower, of him facing off against deadly trees and violent shrubbery. Memories of him using his powers to save his friends' lives, and of him realising his true potential at the grassy plains in front of the Windy Isle.

The memories swirled around them as Kevin helped his friend to his feet. Here was Jimmy: Clumsy and frail, prone to jealousy and pettiness, but loyal and warm to his friends. When he learned to embrace his power rather than fear it, he became strong.

Ed helped Sarah up as well. There were too many memories between them to count. Here was Sarah: Hot-headed and brash, but she harbored a hidden logical side. Through her desire to master her powers and her patience in doing so, she became strong.

The two young children grabbed hold of Kevin's bike. With the five of them clutching it, they delved further into the darkness.

**~ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ~**

Kate and the Conductor felt something deep inside them cry out. Kate asked one of her fellow cooks to take over for her as she excused herself from the Talastsbo Express's kitchen car. The Conductor made his way toward it from the other end of the train, and the two met up in an empty dining car. They felt a strange energy brush past them, and they suddenly felt an overwhelming feeling of bittersweetness. The father and daughter embraced in a long hug, and for a brief moment, both of them could feel the once-familiar presence of another woman joining them.

**~ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ~**

Here was Eddy's Brother: Jaded and bitter, he justified his anger and violence with the idea that it made others tougher.

Here was Nazz: Caring but overprotective, she believed that she had to protect those around her as much as possible.

Together, they taught each other that there was a balance in how they protected others. By learning this balance, they became strong.

Here was Rolf: Steadfast and resolute, he helped remind his friends of times that once were. He became strong a long time ago.

The three of them grasped Kevin's bike. Kevin and Ed panted and sweated to keep up the shield. The madness never let up.

"Sh-should we escape?" Jimmy asked.

Kevin shook his head. "No. We still have three more to find."

With everyone grabbing hold of Kevin's bike, they ventured further still into the darkness.

**~ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ~**

Stephen Reichison felt something deep inside him cry out. He stopped playing his keyboard in the middle of practice with his band mates. Before they could ask what was wrong, everyone felt a strange energy brush past them. Stephen resumed playing, but he played a softer, slower song. He remembered hearing it when he was a baby, but could never replicate the melody until now.

**~ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ~**

The Kanker Sisters lay on the ground.

Ed helped May up. Edd pulled Marie to her feet. Eddy's Brother tentatively nudged at Lee with his foot, until Edd gently slapped him on the side of the head and he helped her up as well.

Everyone held onto a part of Kevin's bike. The shield around them shrank a little, but it still provided a small sanctuary for the residents of Peach Creek. Kevin reached into his pocket with one hand and pulled out the mirror. It glowed brightly in the dark chaos around them, but it was still incomplete. He rested it on the seat of the bike.

"This is all we could do," Kevin lamented.

"Wh-what'll we do now?" May asked.

The kids looked from one to the other. The shield grew smaller and smaller. As it did, they huddled closer and closer together around Kevin's bike. The madness began to close in on them.

A tear fell down Kevin's face. "We go out together."

**~ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ~**

Kevin's mother felt something deep inside her cry out. She sat up from a humble bed in one of Saturn Valley's tiny buildings. The phone next to her lay still. She pulled the stand it rested on closer to her and stared at it, as if expecting it to ring at any second. She felt an arm rest around her shoulder, and leaned against her husband for warmth. They felt a familiar energy brush past them. They didn't have to wonder what it was, for they already knew. It was a call for help. A beacon, causing them to see deep inside themselves, to take that something crying out and let it well up to the surface.

Kevin's mother and father did so. Stephen Reichison did so. Kate and the Conductor and Bart and Bernie and Michelle and Caroline and Laura Truckdresser and the teachers and students at Chestnut Falls Academy and every other person on the planet did so too. Everyone felt thoughts and memories and emotions of their pasts and of their childhood and of their mothers flow through them in pulses like firing synapses of an enormous, collective consciousness.

It thought, and felt, and healed. The enormous pulse of memories and emotions traveled along the surface of the earth, providing the answer to the call for help. It converged in a tiny, out-of-the-way town, in a once-luscious and beautiful forest, in a cave containing a wonderful secret and a horrible blight. All of it focused on one point: the very center of a mirror that lay on a boy's beloved bicycle.

Kevin and his friends looked up in awe as the energy condensed into a brilliant light, causing the mirror to light up with it. The spark at the center began to spread outward along the gap, leaving behind it a solid, ethereally reflective surface. The light made its way to the edge and disappeared.

The mirror became whole.

The shield gave out, and finally shattered. The black and red flooded around the children, but they all still held tight to Kevin's bike.

Kevin grabbed hold of the mirror, and gazed deep into the reflection. He saw himself, and he saw the madness reflected behind him.

The mirror began to glow. Kevin held his gaze as it grew brighter and brighter, eventually encompassing everything into a brilliant white.

**~ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ~**

_I am… I am… I am…_

_I am young. So very young. But I have experienced so very much that I can't always remember it all._

_My birth is a mystery. It is something I cannot remember. I can only guess based on the clues around me. But I don't think it's important how I came to be; what matters now is where I will go, and what I will become._

_My early years of life are also a mystery. Every now and then, I'll find something from that time; a toy that I had, or things that helped take care of me. With each one, I have a flash of memory, of a time I was too young to remember on my own._

_I have done many things that I regret. I have been careless, and ignorant, and cruel. For every victory, there has been a loss, for all I won was the fact that I had hurt someone else, and also myself. I have many regrets, but at the same time, part of me doesn't share that remorse. For if I had not done the things that I've done, I would not have been who I was back then. I would not have grown to be who I am now. And now, I have knowledge of my mistakes, so I can grow into someone better._

_I am still very young. I have my whole life ahead of me, and the uncertainty can be frightening. I may not die for years, or I could get myself killed tomorrow morning. All I can do is have the courage to keep going. Maybe one day I will grow up to be better than I have ever been before._

_I am… I am… I am…_

Kevin existed in the middle of the cul-de-sac. It was so warm. Summer. The air was soft and still, like it needed encouragement to move anywhere. The sun was high above, but the place was bathed in a golden twilight. Kevin existed, and his memories existed around him. He saw himself riding his bike, every which way, around every which friend. Their images played before him, lingering in the air for a bit before disappearing or being replaced by another memory. They laughed together. Played together. Got mad at one another and argued and got over it and apologized and laughed and hey do you want to go down to the creek tomorrow?

However, there was one thing that caught Kevin's eye. He saw a strange little boy in the background, carrying a short piece of lumber with a crude, smiling face drawn on it. He walked off into the forest, and Kevin followed him. They trekked through the lush, seemingly endless forest until they happened upon a peculiar cave in the side of a cliff. Kevin saw Jonny climb in, and he followed. The warm, golden light extended into the cave, lighting up the path as Kevin followed it. He lost sight of Jonny, but continued until he reached the end of the tunnel.

It opened up into a beautiful chamber, shaped like an enormous dome with walls that glowed and shimmered in a rainbow of colors. Sitting in the middle of the chamber was Plank. Three tiny branches sprouted from him, and from them sprouted a few tiny leaves. Kevin bent over and gently picked Plank up. The board smiled at him. A gentle wind blew past the boy, and Plank blew away with it as a cloud of sawdust. Kevin gave a little smile as the twilight began to fade, and he closed his eyes as he felt his soul move back into reality.

**~ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ~**

It was very quiet. That was the first thing Kevin noticed when he opened his eyes. He lay on the stony floor of the sanctuary. A gentle rainbow of light casted over him from the shimmering dome above. His friends and his bike lay on the ground beside him, and neither the mirror nor Plank nor any trace of evil was there to be found. It was so very quiet.

Kevin slowly rose to his feet. His legs wobbled. His eyes were heavy. He felt his breath come up short. But he stood up, and pulled his bike up as well. He walked over to his friends, giving them a gentle shake, and they all began to wake up as well.

When everyone was up, they looked as exhausted as Kevin felt. He motioned toward his bike. Everyone made their way to it, and then leaned on it as Kevin pushed it along, helping them all get home.

"This is why I brought it with me."

* * *

**End Part 7**


	68. Chapter 68

**Epilogue**

* * *

**Chapter 67**

* * *

"Watchout!"

Kevin leaned hard to his left and swerved on his bike to avoid running into the person standing in the middle of the cul-de-sac lane. He lost his balance and tipped over, tumbling off of the bike and rolling along the ground. His knee took the brunt of the impact and became scraped and bloody, but when Kevin came to he was more worried about the person he nearly ran over.

"Double-D, are you alright?"

Edd was already standing over Kevin, shading him from the midday sun above and offering to help him up. "Y-yes! Sorry I caught you by surprise. I've just been trying to flag you down for a while now."

Kevin brushed himself off, and with a thought his knee was healed. As he picked his bike off the ground, he noticed that Edd was wearing a black dress shirt and matching pants.

"Is it starting already?"

"Not yet, but you still need to get dressed."

Kevin chuckled. "Great. I have two moms now."

Edd smiled. "I would consider you lucky."

Kevin walked his bike alongside Edd as they made their way back to the cul-de-sac. The sky was incredibly clear, as if there had been a haze over it before that disappeared. The road of the cul-de-sac was cracked and torn, and many houses were charred and damaged from psychic warfare and neglect. The area was bright, however, and there were already construction zones erected to prepare to fix things.

"It's too bad I can't heal nonliving stuff," Kevin said. "But it'd also be boring if I could do everything with PSI."

"I concur," Edd said. "But on the contrary…" He bent down and picked a small pebble up off the ground. He cupped his hands underneath it, and after a moment of concentration, the pebble lifted out of his palm and gently floated a few inches in the air. "It can certainly do some fascinating things."

Kevin's jaw dropped.

"It would seem that what George said in his journal was true," Edd said sheepishly. "Being in close proximity to other PSI users—especially such powerful ones as you, Ed, Sarah, and Jimmy—for so long has awoken a tiny bit of it inside me as well. This is all I can do, though, and I just discovered it this morning."

Kevin smiled with a breathy snort. "Well, at least you never needed it anyway."

Edd smiled back. "Indeed."

The two continued walking, and Edd asked, "So what exactly happened when the mirror became whole? I didn't exactly catch that part, on account of nearly going mad."

"It was like…" Kevin struggled to find the right words. "Well, like you said back at Rolf's place, the mirror protects the earth from invaders by repelling foreign evil and stuff like that.

"And the new Giygas had one weakness that Porky didn't think of." Kevin found a stick laying underneath a nearby tree, and picked it up. "The Mani-Mani he used was itself a part of the earth. When the mirror lit up and did its thing, it caused Plank to drive the evil all away, because Plank was part of earth."

"That's amazing!" Edd said. "I only wish I could have seen it up close."

Kevin smiled. "Me too. I'm just glad everything's all over finally."

"It does seem like it's gone on for a while," Edd said. "It feels like it's been three years since it all started."

"Yeah."

**~ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ~**

"We have gathered here today to pay our respects to one of Peach Creek's youth and one family: Edward 'Eddy' Skipper McGee, and Jonathan 'Jonny' …erm, the middle and last names are smudged, and his parents."

As the funeral priest fumbled with his notecards, the kids all sat at the back of the chapel, quietly talking to one another.

"I don't get it," Nazz said. Wiping tears away from her eyes before they could fall on her slim black dress, she continued, "Why shouldn't we be sad?"

"I'm not sure myself," Kevin replied. He was also dressed in stiff, formal attire, though he kept his red hat with his Franklin Badge sitting proud atop it. "Ed just told us not to get worked up during the funeral."

"Speaking of the big Ed-boy, where is he?"

"And for that matter, where is Eddy's Brother?" Edd asked.

"Don't look at me," Sarah said when everyone turned to look at her. "I haven't seen him all day. I tried to tell Mom and Dad when we got in the car, but they just said it was his loss and we left without him."

"Well, all we can do is just trust him," Kevin said. Nobody seemed to disagree.

The funeral proceeded, with Eddy's parents giving an earnest yet sappy speech about their son, while Jonny's family friends came to mourn the parents and their child. None of the kids wanted to give any sort of speech.

The gathering ended, and the pallbearers gathered up the coffins to deliver to the graveyard. The kids' parents lingered at the church to talk with one another, so the kids decided to go outside.

There they met Ed and Eddy's Brother.

"You guys ready?" the man asked.

"For what?" Kevin asked in return.

Ed smiled. "Line up behind me."

The children looked at one another, but shrugged and cooperated. Ed lead them to the parking lot.

"PSI Teleport Beta!"

He broke into a sprint, with the others behind him.

"Wait," Edd said, "Beta?"

Ed's path curled into a circle, just barely chasing behind the Kanker sisters at the end of the line. Everyone uttered "whoa"s and "ah"s as they felt compelled to run behind him. They all picked up speed yet remained running in a tight circle, and then disappeared with a soft boom.

**~ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ~**

Jonny sat on a bench beside Eddy.

"So, you can cross back over to here, even after you've moved on?" Jonny asked.

"Apparently," Eddy replied. "It ain't fun, though. Going back to a place like this."

"Then why'd you do it?"

The two heard a loud boom, and eleven people tumbled onto the ground of Pomegranate Pool.

Eddy smiled widely. "That's why."

"Okay, can we not do that again, ever?" Kevin groaned, picking himself off the floor.

"Next time, Ed, let's just split the load between you and Kevin," Edd said. "That way, there'll be less of a chance of—" His gaze met Eddy's. His jaw dropped.

The short boy gave a timid smile and wave. "Heya, Double-D."

The reunion was warm and welcome. Edd, Ed and Sarah came to greet Eddy, while Kevin, Rolf and Jimmy talked to Jonny.

"You guys did it," Jonny said, bowing his head down. "You saved the world, and… and cleaned up the mess I made."

"You mean the mess we made," Kevin said. Jimmy wrapped his arms around Jonny, prompting Kevin and Rolf to do the same. Jonny couldn't stop crying.

"N-Nazz?"

Nazz heard a familiar voice. She turned, and saw her late uncle standing on the other side of the pool.

"Uncle… Vladdy?"

The two dashed around the edge of the pool and met in a tearful hug.

Minutes passed. Apologies were exchanged. Regrets and woes and pride in one another expressed. The Kankers demanded a "makeout session" with their respective boyfriends, and for once the Eds complied. It was terrible. Just like old times.

All the while, Eddy's Brother watched from the safety of a nearby building. He sighed, leaning up against the building's side and sliding down it. He trembled at the thought of going over there. He looked around, wondering if he should just stay here.

"Heya, Bro."

Eddy's Brother shot to his feet. Standing before him was Eddy. "P-P-Pip—er—E-Eddy!"

"Geese, Bro, you look like you're seeing a ghost!"

The man could see his brother visibly holding back a chuckle. He felt himself doing the same. "Oh, shut up!"

The two let loose a small laugh together. Eddy's Brother quickly lost his mirth, however.

"So, is there anything you wanna rub in my face?" the man asked, turning away from his brother. "Now'd be the time."

"Nah," Eddy replied. "You've already practically apologized your butt off. I heard all those things you said about me."

"Yeah? Like how I made your life hell for no reason but thinking I was doing something good by it anyway?"

"Yeah, we coulda played Say Uncle a little less. But you did do something good." The boy smiled warmly. "You got me to make all these friends!"

Upon hearing that, Eddy's Brother fell to his knees. He wrapped his arms around Eddy, who warmly reciprocated.

"Thanks, bro."

"Thanks, bro."

The group rejoined at the pool. After a tearful farewell, Nazz and everyone else watched Adam jump into the pool, to reach the world beyond.

Immediately afterward, Nazz slapped Kevin on the face. "Why the crap didn't you tell me you met my uncle here?!"

"I-I-I—" Kevin stammered, shocked by her sudden reaction, "I didn't want to get your hopes up. I didn't know we could just teleport here."

"Welp, you can," Eddy said. "And that's why I'm gonna stay here for a while." He turned to Ed, and smiled, "Visit me anytime you need to, Lumpy."

Ed smiled back, and nodded.

"We'll visit you too, Jonny," Kevin said. "We've still got a lot of things to make up for with each other."

Jonny smiled. "Okie Dokie!"

"We'd better not see you around her _legitly_ for a long time," Eddy said. "But when you all do end up coming back here the way you're supposed to, let's all go to the other side together." His eyes lit up with wonder as he added, "You wouldn't believe what's there."

With one final goodbye, the children lined up behind Kevin and Ed, and they teleported away.

**~ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ~**

"What will you do now?"

Edd and Eddy's Brother sat together on the curb of the cul-de-sac. The man sighed. "Well, you guys did kinda wreck my boat, but with the money Doctor Andonuts gave me, I can get another one."

"Do you really still want to be a Whaler?" Edd asked. "There are many better career paths you could pursue if you set your mind to it."

"Hey, just because you tricked me into being nice to you twerps doesn't mean I'm just suddenly gonna turn my whole life around," the man spat. "Though… maybe."

Edd smiled. "That's good enough, I suppose." He perked up, and reached under his hat. "That reminds me; I think I should return this." He pulled out the pistol, and slid it to the man beside him.

The man looked at the gun, then to Edd. "You really wanna be giving me this back?"

"I most certainly don't need it anymore," Edd said. "Besides, it's out of ammo anyway."

"Ah."

**~ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ~**

"Yeah, I'll definitely help you guys move back in," Kevin said. "But can we wait until tomorrow? I'm beat."

The other kids nodded. Kevin smiled, and he walked his bike from the middle of the cul-de-sac to his house. He parked it in the garage, and gave it a quick polish. He headed inside, and picked up a familiar black phone on the wall.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Mom."

"Hi, Kevin! How are you?"

"I'm good! Just got home with the others."

"That's good. Your father and I will be home later this evening. We still have so much to sort out after this whole mess!"

"Well, at least Dad can write a novel about this, right?"

"Yep! He wants you to tell you the story one last time beginning to end, though, just so he can get it all down."

Kevin chuckled. "Tell him I'm sick of talking over the phone. I'll tell you guys the whole thing in person."

"Okay. Love you, sweetheart."

"Love you too, Mom."

He hung up the phone, and let out a cathartic sigh. He felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him as he stumbled to the couch. He grabbed the tv remote as he flopped onto it, but before he could turn the television on, he immediately fell asleep.

* * *

**The End**


End file.
